Memories x Identities x Desires
by Railgun14
Summary: REWRITE POSTED! Title: Diverging Routes Converging Paths
1. Chapter 1 Beginnings

CHAPTER 1

BEGINNINGS

* * *

The world was dyed in scarlet. Everything was engulfed in flames. There was blood all over the floor. Countless of bodies lied dead. Screams of anguish and despair filled the air. In the middle of it all, a little girl no more than 8 years old ran as tears fell from her eyes.

 _Help! Somebody! Anybody! Help!_

She covered her ears hoping to drown out the noise.

 _Help! I don't want to hear their screams anymore!_

She continued to run, desperate to get away.

 _Please, somebody take me away!_

Then the scene shifted. There was a woman in front of the same little girl. The woman was beautiful but her eyes stood out the most. Her eyes were red, like blood. The woman's face showed deep sorrow that startled the little girl. Then suddenly the woman embraced the little girl and softy whispered.

"My dear, I'm sorry…I ha- to take –way so—thi— pre—us to you…But with this, I ho—that will be able to li—pea—fu—until the ti— comes. This is the only way. Please, until then, forget."

* * *

Leila woke up thinking of the dream that haunted her for years. She has no clue how or why it happens but once in a while, that dream would crawl into her head and haunt her nights. The first time she had it, she was so scared that she cried and demanded her most trusted friend to stay with her for the rest of the night. But by now, she was more or less used to it. It was still scary but now she was more confused about it than scared. The scenes in the dream bothered her, most especially the woman. She would swear that she never saw those things or that woman in particular but the thing was, she couldn't remember most of her life. She was missing a huge lump of memories. Leila wasn't even her real name. She loved her name but it's still nice to know the name her true parents, whoever they are, gave her.

"I guess there's no use pondering about it again." Leila mumbled to herself.

She then glanced at the clock to her left. She groaned. It was definitely time to get up. In fact, she totally overslept again. She sat up and the mirror in front of her bed immediately caught her attention. Purple eyes stared back at her and she noted how her long black hair was a total mess. She really had a bad case of bed-head. Then suddenly the door opened and revealed her aforementioned most trusted friend. He was more like a brother to her really.

"Good morning, Leila, had a good night's sleep?"

"Good morning to you too, Gon. I can't say yes to your question though." Leila replied.

"Something wrong?"

Gon approached her with worry etched across his face. Gon had spiky black hair that seemed to defy gravity and huge amber eyes that showed his childish innocence more than anything else. He was more or less the same age as her, twelve years old. Leila doesn't exactly know how old she was since she can't remember her birthday but her appearance suggested that she was as old as him or perhaps a little bit younger.

"It's nothing serious really. It was just the usual nightmare again." Leila answered.

"Are you okay?" Gon asked, still worried.

Gon sat on her bed and squeezed in an act of comfort. Leila smiled thinking how lucky she was to have a friend like him. She was like a brother she never had. They also lived on the same house so they were practically raised like siblings. He was her most trusted confidante so she had also informed him of her dreams.

"Yep, I'm fine and don't worry. If it gets really bad, I'll be sure to crawl into your bed in the middle of the night and tell you." Leila squeezed Gon's hand back reassuring him.

Gon replied with a smile.

"I guess I better get myself ready to get choked again." Gon joked which earned a smack on the shoulder from Leila. Well, the last time they slept beside each other, which was about a year ago, she really did almost choke him but, hey, it wasn't her fault that she subconsciously liked to cuddle.

"Why did you come to my room by the way?" Leila asked.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Mito-san told me to wake you up and have you get ready. She said that if you aren't down within thirty minutes, she'll double your chores."

Leila paled at the thought of the chores. She didn't mind doing it but it's exhausting just the same. Mito-san was Gon's aunt. Mito-san along with Gon saw her washed up on shore four years ago and they cared for her ever since. They let her stay in their house, fed her and even taught her to speak since, apparently, her memory loss reverted her back into an infant-like state of mind. Mito-san was like a mother to her and she loved her to bits but sometimes that woman could really be a slave driver.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?!" Leila exclaimed in panic as she scrambled up to get ready.

"Got sidetracked, I guess." Gon replied sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head.

"Geez. If Mito-san kills me with the chores, its gonna be your fault, Gon."

"I better leave you with your hair then." Gon chuckled as he proceeded to leave.

"Arrgh! Don't even get started on my hair!"

* * *

Minutes later, Leila finally got herself ready. She went downstairs to help her guardian with the bar. She was dressed in her usual blue summer dress and she had her long black hair tied in a ponytail that reached just above her waist.

"Here is your drink, sir." Leila said as she served the drink to a customer at the table just next to the counter. The customer, meanwhile, stared at her quite curiously. "Is there anything else I could help you with, sir?"

"Ah no, nothing really." The guest replied. But your eyes, miss, I must say that I've never really seen that colour anywhere else. It's quite unique. Is it natural?"

"Yes, I guess. I mean it's been like this ever since I could remember."

"I see."

Leila went back to the counter to get started with another order. She wasn't really surprised with the man's question. Most of the people she met tend to ask her about the strange colour of her eyes. She has no clue why people find it so strange or if the colour of her eyes was actually _that_ unique. She hasn't been anywhere else since she was found on Whale Island.

Suddenly, the door was harshly opened to reveal a very anxious sixteen year old.

"Quick, Leila, hide me!"

"Wait, what are you-"

Before Leila could say anything else, the teen already hid under the counter and seconds later three young local boys burst into the door. Leila raised an eyebrow.

" _Again, huh…_ " she thought.

"Hey Leila, have you seen Iris?" One of the boys asked.

"Uh…no… Are you sure she went this way?" Leila lied. It was practiced lie. It happened a few times in the past already.

"Is that so… that's too bad. We better look for her someplace else then. But, hey Leila, you're actually pretty cute, wanna hang out with us?"

Leila's eyebrow twitched appalled by the invitation.

"No, I'm not interested and as you can see I'm quite busy with the store right now so if you could please leave I would greatly appreciate it." Leila flashed them one of her sweetest and fakest smile, not bothering to hide the hostility under her polite speech.

Seeing this, the young men gulped nervously and realized that they've bothered the young waitress quite enough as they hurriedly dashed through the front door. Leila smiled contently as she saw them leave then she playfully smirked at her friend who was still hiding under the counter.

"Playing tag again, Iris?"

Leila chuckled as she heard a thud in reply. It seemed like her friend bumped her head as she tried to get out of her hiding place.

"Shut it, Leila. And correction, I wasn't playing tag. I was obviously running away from those idiots." Iris grumbled as she clutched her head in pain.

"Same difference"

Leila laughed more as she watched her friend trying to nurse the bump on her head. She can't blame those guys for chasing after her though. Iris was downright beautiful with her long, silky midnight blue hair which reached the middle of her back and enchanting green eye complete with a pretty face and stunning figure. She was hailed as the town's dream girl, not that Iris ever acknowledged it. Iris was never one to take advantage of her charms nor was she fully aware of its effects. In fact, she loathed that she was chased by boys because of it as she found the reason shallow and stupid. Leila could remember one time that Iris got so irritated with a suitor that she punched him on the nose. Of course, living in a small town, the word of the incident got around and eventually reached the ears of Iris's mom who scolded her for it. The boys never stopped chasing after her though and just assumed she liked boys who can fight. So the next few weeks after the incident a lot of boys went to show off their lame fighting skills and since Iris couldn't violently retaliate if she got too annoyed, she would usually avoid them, run away, or hide like what happened just now.

"Iris, I didn't know you were coming." Mito's voice interrupted Leila's thoughts.

"Your store has a lot of good hiding places, Mito-san." Iris replied grinning sheepishly.

"Playing tag again, Iris?" Mito asked, unable to hide her amusement.

"Really, Mito-san, you really just had to ask the same question?" Iris looked at the older woman incredulously while Leila clutched her stomach as she burst into another round of laughter.

"I wouldn't be laughing so hard if I were you Leila." Another voice joined the conversation as Gon's grandmother arrived.

"Obaa-chan" Leila greeted, acknowledging the old woman.

"You're as pretty as Iris, Leila-chan. In a few years, I think you'll be having your own band of suitors chasing you, young lady. Both you and Iris look prettier as you grow." Gon's grandmother said stopping Leila from laughing.

"Well, I guess, Leila has a lot of growing up to do." Iris teased.

Leila flushed at the statement. It was she was quite short for her age but she didn't really need anyone to point it out. Then Leila thought of a good comeback, more like a little bit of blackmail actually.

"Oh, you know what, I think I may have to tattletale someone's location at the moment."

"You wouldn't dare…"

"Try me."

"Alright, I give up." Iris raised her hand in mock surrender. Then she playfully pointed her finger at Leila and declared "You may have won this battle but never assume you have won the war. Mark my words, I will have my revenge!"

"Then I will celebrate this moment of victory." Leila playfully replied.

By this time, the participants of the conversation were laughing. Then Mito and Gon's grandmother left leaving Iris and Leila alone.

"Hey Leila, where's Gon?" Iris asked.

"He's at the lake. You know, trying to do his task."

In exchange for Mito's approval of their participation in the Hunter Exam, Mito gave them both tasks to accomplish. Leila's task was to retrieve a very rare herb that grows on top of the highest tree in the island. The task was quite difficult since the tree was quite slippery. Then there were snakes coiling in the branches and don't even get her started with the ants and the bees. Leila still managed to successfully get the herb though within a few tries. On the other hand, Gon was tasked to capture the largest fish in the lake.

"I hope Gon captures that fish. I really hope to enter the exam with the both of you." Iris said. There was a hopeful gleam in her eyes.

"Yeah, I hope so too." Leila replied.

Iris's parents were both hunters and were constantly on the move. Two years ago, Iris arrived on the island and met the two of them. When she heard that Leila and Gon planned to take the Hunter Exam, she was so ecstatic about the news that she decided to wait till they could enter the exam with her and told them that she wasn't particularly in a rush to get her license. Leila had no doubt that Iris would pass the exam. Iris was smart and an excellent fighter and not to mention her parents. She heard that Iris's parents were quite famous but Leila never really paid much attention to the rumours and Iris doesn't really talk about her parents' hunter career that much.

Then Leila thought about her motive in entering the Hunter Exam. Gon wanted to enter that exam to find his father and Iris wanted to prove herself. On the other hand, her motive was vague at best. Leila thought that by entering and passing the Hunter Exam, she may be able to find clues about her past and who she really was. But that was just her being hopeful. The truth was that she just doesn't want to be left alone. Her closest friends, Gon and Iris, were going on an adventure and she wasn't ashamed to admit to herself that she wanted to tag along too.

Suddenly, Leila heard a commotion outside. Then the next few seconds she found herself outside with Iris. They both looked at Gon who had a huge grin on his face and huge fish on his back.

Gon finally got the fish.

" _This is it. No turning back now_." Leila thought as she strengthened resolve.

All three of them were taking the Hunter Exam.

* * *

 **EDITED: 7/2/2018**


	2. Chapter 2 Meetings aboard the Ship

CHAPTER 2

Meetings aboard the Ship

* * *

After a tearful goodbye with Mito and Gon's grandmother ( _since Iris's parents were somewhere around the world doing hunter stuff_ ), Leila, Iris and Gon finally boarded the ship that would take them to the site of the Hunter Exam. Gon wore his usual green outfit while Leila wore a black skirt and blue blouse. Iris, on the other hand, was wearing her checkered red skirt and black blouse.

Iris glanced around the ship taking note of the other passengers. A lot of them were rough looking men and she couldn't spot any other girl besides her and Leila. Iris continued to look around and then her eyes landed on a pair of blue eyes staring back at her.

Kurapika was reading something when he noticed the arrival of three new passengers. Two of them were kids: a girl and a boy while the third one was a girl about his age. The older girl particularly caught his attention. He couldn't help but stare at her. She was one of the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. The girl was looking around the ship and then suddenly her green eyes locked on his. Kurapika felt heat rush up to his cheeks.

" _She noticed me._ " Kurapika thought as he quickly averted his gaze back to his book.

Iris, on the other hand, continued to stare at him. Iris noted that the particular stranger has this intelligent blue eyes and blonde hair. He is a guy her age and easily more handsome than the guys she met back at the island. The guy actually intrigued her. She felt the sudden want to befriend and get to know him. It's the first time that she's taken interest on a guy her age.

Iris was about to approach the blond when Leila suddenly dragged her to the center of the ship to follow Gon who was talking to a crew carrying green apples. She'd approach him later, Iris decided.

"Gon, the seagulls..." Leila said taking Gon's attention to the seagulls flying above the ship.

Gon jumped up to the observation deck and after a few seconds Gon declared that there's a big storm coming. The captain seemed surprised to hear Gon's observation but Iris wasn't. Leila and Gon often played with animals at the forest so they knew the animals' pattern of behavior and Gon has a sense of smell that could rival a dog's.

Then as expected, a few hours later, the ship was sailing in the middle of the storm. A lot of passengers fell ill and fainted except for Iris, Leila, Gon, Kurapika and certain guy wearing a suit. This brought them to the captain's quarters being interviewed by the captain. The captain asked for their names which was easy enough. Leila noted how Kurapika turned his gaze to Iris when she introduced herself. Iris noticed and responded with a smile which made Leila wonder if they knew each other before.

However, the second question made some of them hesitate to answer particularly Kurapika and Leorio. The captain asked about their reasons for becoming hunters. Gon easily answered that he's father is a hunter and he wants to know what the job was like while Kurapika and Leorio argued with the captain. Both of them didn't want to answer the question. When the captain had enough of their complaints, he revealed to them that he is one of the examiners.

"I am the last survivor of the Kuruta clan." Kurapika answered.

" _Kuruta...why do I feel like I've heard it before_?" Leila thought as she clutched her head. She felt like she should remember something important but she doesn't know what. Then suddenly her head began to hurt a little.

"Four years ago, my clan was annihilated by a band of criminals." Kurapika continued.

 _"Four years ago..."_ Leila felt the pain in her head worsen then images from her nightmare crawled into her mind. " _What on earth is happening to me?_ "

"I wish to become a Hunter and hunt down that band, the Phantom Troupe."

" _The Phantom Troupe...Kurapika is after those ruthless spiders_." Iris thought as she recalled everything her parents told her about the troupe. The troupe is considered as Class A criminals. They were heartless and killed anyone who gets in their way without a second thought.

Iris glanced at Kurapika and saw his resolve. Kurapika is definitely determined to take his revenge on the troupe no matter how dangerous it's going to be.

"So you want to be a bounty hunter? The Phantom Troupe is a Class A bounty. Not even the most grizzled hunters can touch them. You'd be throwing away your life." The captain warned.

"I do not fear death. I only fear that this rage will fade over time." Kurapika's eyes gleamed red reflecting the rage that he felt.

When Leila saw Kurapika's gleaming scarlet eyes, her headache went to a maximum. She felt her knees go weak then she grabbed Iris in her struggle. Iris noticed this and saw her friend turning paler by the minute.

"Are you okay, Leila?" Iris asked worriedly.

"Just let me hold on to you for a while. I'm ok."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

Iris gave Leila one last quizzical look then consented.

"Tell me if it gets worse, okay?"

Leila answered her friend with a nod.

The other occupants in the room did not notice this though. They were too absorbed in the conversation.

"So in other words, you just want revenge. Does that require that you become a hunter?" Leorio smugly asked.

"That's the most stupid question in the world, Leorio." Kurapika coolly replied.

"That's Leorio-san to you!"

"Places accessible only to Hunters...Information otherwise unattainable...Actions otherwise impossible...There are more reasons than your brain could possibly handle."

When Iris finally got back into the conversation, the first thing she noticed was Leorio looking like an enraged gorilla than a human.

"Hey, why do you want to be a hunter, Leorio-san?" Gon interjected.

"I'll make it short: money. With money you can get everything. A big house, good cars, good liquor..."

"You can't buy class with money, Leorio." Kurapika interrupted.

Leorio finally snapped and told Kurapika step outside declaring that he'll end the filthy Kuruta bloodline once and for all. The captain tried to stop the two of them but Gon told him to let it be and let them settle it themselves. Then a crew spotted a waterspout. The captain ordered to raise the sails and Gon immediately volunteered to help.

"Let's go help, Iris." Leila requested.

"But...Are you sure you're up to it, Leila?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

Leila and Iris hurriedly went outside but what they witnessed there drained the color from their face. It was Gon recklessly jumping overboard to save someone.

"GON!" They both shouted in worry.

Thankfully, Leorio and Kurapika caught their friend which earned a sigh of relief from the two girls.

* * *

After the storm...

"Gon, you idiot! If you make me worry like that again, I swear..." Leila said as she hugged her friend in relief.

"Just how reckless can you be, Gon?! My heart almost stopped beating, you idiot!" Iris scolded while Gon looked guiltily at the two of them.

"I'm sorry, Iris, Leila. I'll try not to do it again." Gon apologized. "Besides, nothing bad really happened. Kurapika and Leorio caught me."

Iris turned her gazed at the two men behind her.

"Thanks a lot for saving Gon, Kurapika-san, Leorio-san." Iris brightly smiled at the both of them, sincerely grateful of their help which made the two guys blush.

"Ah no, I don't really need any thanks." Kurapika said flustered by the girl's smile and gratitude.

"We'll, I'm just glad everything turned out okay." Leorio replied to the girl.

"I apologize for my rude behavoir, Leorio-san." Kurapika addressed to Leorio.

"Geez, that makes me feel old. Leorio is fine, Kurapika and to you too, Leila-chan."

" _Leila-chan? Did he just call me Leila_?" Iris thought dumbstruck at the obvious mistake.

"I take everything back, Kurapika. I was wrong." Leorio continued.

"Hey Leorio, what did you just call me?" Iris asked.

"Is it bad that I add -chan to your name, Leila-chan?"

"I really don't mind the -chan but...it's just that..."

An exasperated sigh escaped from Kurapika's lips. "You idiot."

"Actually, I am Leila." Leila said from beside Gon with an amused smile playing on her lips.

"Eh...so that means...ahaha...you were both pretty so I can't help but mix up your names..." Leorio lamely gave his excuse. "Sorry about that, Leila-chan, Airi-chan."

" _Airi_?" Iris' eyebrow twitched. " _Is it really that hard to get my name right?_ "

Gon and Leila burst into laughter which made Leorio look at them curiously.

"Her name's Iris, Leorio and I suggest you shut up before you dig yourself a deeper grave." Kurapika said dismissively which earned another dumb expression from Leorio.

"Eh?"


	3. Chapter 3 To the Lone Cedar Tree

CHAPTER 3

To the Lone Cedar Tree

* * *

Having gained the favor of the captain, Gon, Leila, Iris, Kurapika and Lerio safely arrived at Dole Port: the port nearest to the Hunter Exam site. Gon was having a few words with the captain while the others were studying the map near the port.

"Hey everyone, the captain said we have to head to the lone Cedar tree." Gon said after he finished his conversation with the captain.

They turned to the map and noted that the cedar tree was located outside the city.

"Wait a second, that's strange. I heard that the exam's supposed to be somewhere in Zaban City." Leorio informed. "Then maybe we should take the bus instead rather than head for that tree which is in the opposite direction."

"Are you sure you heard him right, Gon?" Kurapika asked.

"Yeah, he said to head for the tree." Gon clarified.

"I think we should trust the captain's word. I mean he is an examiner." Iris suggested. "And I think there's a high possibility that the bus is a trap, Leorio." Iris continued, recalling what her parents told her about reaching the exam site.

"Why do you think so?" Leorio asked, giving Iris a confused look.

"I'm going to trust the captain." Gon declared before Iris could answer Leorio's question.

"I trust Gon's instincts." Leila stated as she and Gon headed left.

Seconds later, Iris and Kurapika followed the other two without another word while Leorio headed for the bus. Leorio smugly thought that they were probably going to end up in the middle of nowhere until he heard some voices from the alleyway.

"Have you heard?" The voice said. "The bus was decoy to trick the first timers."

The other one snickered, mocking the poor unfortunate souls who actually fell for the trap. "Yeah, that's why rookies don't usually reach the exam site. They're just too naïve."

Now that quickly changed his mind.

"Wait up!" Leorio shouted as he ran after Gon and the others. "I'm coming with you."

"Why the sudden change of mind, Leorio?" Iris teased as Leorio finally caught up with them.

The others watched in amusement as they walked.

"I was worried you'd be lonely without me so I changed my mind." Leorio lied, too confident with his lying abilities.

"Oh really?" Iris raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

Leorio turned his eyes somewhere, refusing to meet Iris's teasing gaze. Then suddenly, something clicked into his mind.

"Hey Iris, how did you know that the bus was a trap?"

"Are you attempting to stop me from teasing you of your latest blunder, Leorio?"

"Just answer the question!"

Iris chuckled.

"Actually, I'm curious about that too." Kurapika interjected, looking at the girl curiously.

"Well…" Iris began. "Both of my parents are actually professional hunters. They implemented the same trick when they were assigned as examiners three years ago."

"Is that why you want to become a hunter, Iris? Because of your parents?" Kurapika asked, wanting to know about the blue haired beauty more.

Iris smiled at Kurapika in response as she remembered her parents. "Yeah, they are. I grew up watching them having so much fun being hunters. I saw how their eyes would sparkle in happiness whenever they discovered something new and I thought that's what I want to do when I grew up."

Iris then turned to see Kurapika looking at her fondly which, for some reason, made the heat rush up to her cheeks.

"So why didn't you enter the exam three years ago, Iris?" Leorio asked which made turned Iris's attention on him. "It would have probably been easier for you to pass with your parents as examiners."

"I want to pass the exam because of my own capabilities, not because of my parents. Also, as much as I love my parents, I don't want to remain under their shadow forever."

"I see." Leorio nodded in understanding then he turned his head to the other girl in the group. "So Leila, what's your story?"

"Huh? What?" Leila asked, admittedly not paying attention at the conversation.

"I asked your reason for entering the hunter exam. I mean, we never got to hear it with the storm and everything."

Leila's eyes went to the ground in thought which Kurapika noticed. He interpreted the action as a gesture of discomfort though.

"You don't have to answer the question if you don't want to, Leila." Kurapika said, trying to assure the girl. Sometimes Leorio could be so tactless with others.

"No, it's okay and besides it wouldn't be fair if I only get to keep my reasons when I knew yours but thanks anyway, Kurapika." Leila thanked the blonde who gave a nod of acknowledgment in return. "I guess… I just don't want to be left alone back at the island with Gon and Iris going. And then I thought that maybe, if I successfully become a hunter it would make the search of my real identity easier."

"What do you mean?" Leorio asked in confusion.

"Four years ago, I was washed up on the shores of Whale Island where Gon and his aunt found me." Leila turned her eyes to Gon as she said this which made Gon smile back at her. "And additionally, I've got no idea who I really am. I don't remember anything from the past."

' _Four years ago…'_ Kurapika thought. ' _It's the same year my whole clan was murdered…_ '

On the other side, Iris was also deep in thought. ' _Right…how could I have missed it? Leila being found and the massacre of the Kuruta clan happened at the same year. Is there some connection or this just some kind of strange coincidence_?'

"So…" Leorio continued his interview, oblivious to what others are thinking. "Leila is not actually your real name?"

"Yes. Leila replied. "I'm grateful and happy with my new family but not knowing who I really am or where I came from troubles me. What was I doing all those years ago? What happened to my biological parents? Those kinds of unanswered questions keep bothering me every day." Leila finished.

"I'm sure everything will be okay, Leila." Gon said, comforting his friend.

"I hope so too, Gon."

* * *

"Hey guys, don't you think it's already past two hours?" Leila asked, quite impatient to get out of the dark tunnel.

Iris understood Leila's impatience. They've been walking on the tunnel that the old woman from the last obstacle led them for quite a while now. Then Iris spotted a speck of light. They could finally get out this tunnel.

"I see the exit!" Leila exclaimed gleefully. It seems that Leila saw it too.

Leila excitedly dashed towards the exit followed by Gon while the others, including Iris, took their time.

"I guess it's already dark out." Iris commented, taking note of the dark forest that greeted them.

"I think we better follow that path and keep on walking. We should reach the tree as soon as possible." Kurapika suggested and the others nodded in agreement.

While walking, Iris was absentmindedly looking around, a bit lagging from the rest of the group. She wasn't worried. She knew she would be able to catch up when needed but what she didn't count on was an unmoving stone on her path.

' _Oh shit_.' She thought in panic as she began to fall downwards.

She began to prepare herself for the unavoidable impact when she felt strong arms around her waist, instantly stopping her descent.

"It's a bit dark so you have to be more careful, Iris." Iris felt herself tingle as she felt and heard Kurapika breath just centimeters next to her ear.

Iris's heart began to throb faster and louder as she turned redder by the minute. Kurapika held her from behind, as if hugging her. It was the first time Iris was this close to a guy her age.

"Are you okay, Iris?" Kurapika asked, concerned and quite oblivious of the girl's current predicament.

Kurapika felt Iris's head turn, only to end up facing him. Her pretty face was flushed and her lips were…just centimeters away from his own.

"Aaah!" Kurapika immediately let go of her, realizing how intimately he had held the girl. " _What on earth have I done?_ " His face was currently in a very deep shade of red and his gaze was directed at the ground, too embarrassed to look at the girl in front of him. "I'm sorry about that, Iris. I honestly did not mean to put you through…something like that." He apologized.

Iris remained speechless. She was a bit preoccupied with calming her beating heart down.

' _She probably thinks I'm some kind of a low-life perverted scum by now._ ' Kurapika thought miserably.

"No, it's okay." Iris replied, finding her voice and calming down a bit though the blush on her cheeks remained.

"You're not angry?" To say Kurapika was surprised was an understatement. He was positive she had begun hating him.

"Of course not, why would I be? You just helped me." Iris offered a smile.

Kurapika sighed in relief at her answer.

' _Of course, he only did it to help me. Nothing's wrong about it. Why am I feeling this way? More importantly, what is this strange feeling, anyway_?' Iris reflected.

"I really thought you started hating me." Kurapika suddenly blurted out.

Iris's eyes widened as she heard this. She immediately turned her attention to Kurapika who, in her shock and amusement, had his mouth gaped open and his expression dumbfounded as if he didn't actually intended to say the statement in the first place. His expression now was far from the cool persona he usually portrayed.

Iris felt the air become somehow lighter compared to its previous awkwardness and she finally let out a laugh. It was totally unexpected. She never expected that kind of expression from Kurapika…from Leorio maybe…but never from Kurapika. It was quite silly but at the same time cute in her opinion.

Kurapika eyes widened in surprise as Iris's laugh reached his ears. He must have really looked ridiculous for her to laugh this hard. Her laugh was quite contagious and he can't help himself but laugh alongside her.

"So you really forgive me then?" Kurapika asked as he recollected himself.

Iris smiled. "There wasn't anything to forgive in the first place. In fact, I should be thanking you."

"Let's just call it even then." Kurapika smiled back.

"You're quite stubborn, are you?" Iris chuckled then she approached and unexpectedly held his hand tugging him forward. A blush was present on her cheeks but she wasn't letting go. ' _There's that strange feeling again…but I don't hate it. In fact, it somehow feels good to hold him like this_.'

Kurapika looked at the girl strangely, shocked by the sudden gesture. A blush was also beginning to reappear on his cheeks.

"Let's go, Kurapika. The others are probably looking for us by now." Iris said.

Kurapika just nodded in agreement. He doesn't really trust his own voice at the moment. He loved it though. He loved the warmth he felt as she held his hand. Then he looked at their entwined hands and smiled.

" _It's a perfect fit_." He thought.


	4. Chapter 4 The Magical Beasts

CHAPTER 4

The Magical Beasts

* * *

"Minna! I found the tree!" Gon shouted as he waved his hands up in the air enthusiastically, happy to finally reach their destination. He was standing near a house just below the tree.

Leila chuckled at Gon's actions. They just walked for hours and there he is, still full of energy with probably much more to spare.

"Alright, alright, we get it. Don't shout. Geez." Leorio said as he walked towards the two.

Seeing Leorio made Leila immediately think of the other two members of their group. She turned her head around to check on Iris and Kurapika.

"Iris! Hur…" Leila begun but stopped as the other two appeared on her line of sight. There's definitely something wrong with this picture. ' _No, not wrong…more like…unusual…_ '

It was Iris holding hands with Kurapika. Iris, the same girl who usually runs away from boys her age is now holding hands with a boy definitely around her age. She even seemed comfortable with it. Just what on earth happened? She knew that Iris is quite friendly providing that you don't get on her bad side but still…holding hands with a boy she just met for about a day is definitely, no matter how you look at it, unusual.

"OI! KURAPIKA!" Seems like Leorio also noticed. "WHY ARE YOU HOL…"

"AAAAH!" A woman's shout suddenly came from the wooden house, alerting the group.

They immediately dashed towards the house to help. When they opened the door, debris from broken furniture, an injured man on the floor and a woman held by strange creature caught their eyes.

"It's a magical beast called Kiriko." Kurapika informed the others.

The Kiriko glanced at their way then the next second, it went out of the window taking the woman with it. The others immediately went in pursuit of the creature.

"Leorio, I'll leave the injured man to you." Kurapika commanded as he followed Leila, Gon and Iris out of the window.

"You can count on me." Leorio responded as he kneeled beside the injured man, taking out bandages from his briefcase.

The other four continued to chase the Kiriko to the forest. Gon and Leila were jumping from tree to tree up above while Iris and Kurapika ran below.

' _Those two are quite impressive, being able to see in this dark forest.'_ Kurapika thought as he observed Leila and Gon. He noticed that those two kind of move the same. ' _Hmm…probably because they grew up together_.' He reasoned.

"Catch me if you can!" The creature taunted, surprising Gon and Leila.

"It can talk?!" Leila exclaimed, quite shocked.

"Amazing! It can talk like us!" Gon commented, impressed.

"They use human language to imitate people, Gon." Kurapika informed.

Iris admired Kurapika's intelligence as he told Gon about the information. Iris knew about the magical beast, being a reader herself, but the first one who actually recognized it was Kurapika. ' _Kurapika's really amazing_ …'

"Then it makes it easier." Gon said as he sped up after the creature. "Oi! Baka Kiriko!"

The beast paused as it heard Gon's taunt which gave Gon the chance to pounce his fishing rod onto the creature's head.

"Good job, Gon!" Leila complimented.

The creature's hold on the woman loosened and the woman began to fall down to the forest floor. Kurapika instantly moved to catch the woman. The creature continued to run to the forest. Gon and Leila chased after it while Kurapika and Iris stopped to tend at the woman.

"My husband, is he okay?" The woman asked.

Kurapika prepared himself to console her when he noticed the symbols written around her wrist. "Those tattoos…"

"Get away from her, Kurapika!" Iris suddenly cried out.

Kurapika turned his head to Iris and saw her glaring at the woman with a long steel pole on her hands pointed at the woman. The steel pole was Iris's weapon. It normally rested on the side of her thigh as a quite small metal object but it extends when she wills it to.

"That tattoo on your wrist is a symbol of an oath of chastity, yet you have a husband." Iris narrowed her eyes at the woman. "Why are you deceiving us? Are you one of them?" Iris knew perfectly well that Kirikos can impersonate humans meaning this woman could really be a magical beast instead of a human.

"There you are, Iris, Kurapika."

"Leorio!" Iris and Kurapika exclaimed at the new arrival.

"What are you doing here?" Kurapika asked.

"The man seemed okay so I left to find you. More importantly, why are you holding that weap…" Before Leorio could continue Kurapika stroke Leorio with his own weapon. It was two pieces of wood shaped like a sword with a string connecting it.

"How did you know?" This Leorio was definitely an imposter.

"He said I could count on him to take care of the man." Kurapika responded. "Regardless of whether I knew or not, I would've hit him for leaving an injured man alone."

* * *

Meanwhile Gon and Leila chased after the Kiriko. Gon was ahead with Leila not far behind. The Kiriko moved from tree to tree and sometimes some branches would block their sight but they could still hear so the chase was still good. Then Leila noticed a large shadow at the side. Its silhouette was similar to the Kiriko.

" _Don't tell me, it's another one_." Leila thought. " _If this one came for the other's rescue then Gon might be in trouble."_

With one glance back at Gon, Leila turned to follow the shadow. As Leila neared it, she became positive that it's another Kiriko. The other Kiriko didn't seem to notice she was following it which made the job easier. It was easier to catch it if it's caught off guard. She jumped on the higher branches as she did her best to catch up then she saw her chance.

"KIRIKO!" Leila shouted from above as she let herself fall to her target. The Kiriko, as expected, was too surprised to move and a second later Leila had her arms around the creature's neck. "Got you! Sorry, but I won't let you help your friend." Leila declared as she stubbornly held on to the creature as it tried to shake her off.

Then suddenly a loud call shook the dark forest. "Hey, honey! Come see this! This boy's really amusing!"

"Huh? What happened?" Leila wondered out loud, startled by the call and the Kiriko also stopped shaking her off. Then suddenly the Kiriko took off jumping from branches to branches towards the direction of the call carrying Leila along. "Hey, wait…where are you…" Leaves and small branches slapped Leila on the unexpected ride preventing her to coherently ask her unexpected escort. Then suddenly, there were no trees or leaves ahead anymore only the dark blue sky and its constant residents.

"Leila?" A familiar voice unexpectedly called out to her.

Leila's eyes widened as she turned her head to the left. There was Gon in front of another Kiriko both staring at her.

"Gon?" Leila replied returning Gon's inquisitive look with a surprised look of her own.


	5. Chapter 5 Little Miss Stranger

CHAPTER 5

Little Miss Stranger

* * *

"So this is Zaban City, huh?" Leila muttered as she looked around.

The whole place was bustling with activity. Shop owners sold different kinds of things and a lot of it were things Leila never saw in her short life at Whale Island. It reminded Leila how big the world is.

After passing the Kirikos' test, their guide brought them to Zaban City, the city where the Hunter Exam is supposed to take place. Their navigator was up ahead leading their small group. Leorio followed then Leila, Iris and Kurapika brought up the rear. Gon was checking out the shops, as energetic as always.

"It's a lot busier than Whale Island. Don't you think so, Leila?" Iris asked snapping Leila out of her thoughts.

"Obviously…there's so much people…so much things…some I didn't know even existed."

"That's a city for you. We're also in a marketplace so that's to be expected." Iris replied. "It's not all that great though…"

"What do you mean?"

"This kind of place gives people a lot of opportunities so it also tends to attract different kinds of people including nasty ones." Kurapika informed joining the conversation.

"Kurapika's right." Iris agreed. "As dazzling as this place may seem, shadows still linger whether you see it or not."

"Mmmm…is that so…You two really know a lot…on the other hand I'm…" Leila sulked.

"Stop!" Iris cut her off. "Leila, you know I've traveled with my parents a lot before I came at Whale Island so don't be so hard on yourself. Besides, it's not like I know everything."

"There's also the fact that we're older than you and then you're amnesia. If we take into account that you don't remember anything except the last four years, then it wouldn't be inappropriate to say that the present you have still lived for four years unless you regain your memories." Kurapika said giving his friend another reason to lift up her spirit.

"I never thought of it that way…" Leila admitted. "I guess now I have more reason to know about my past. It's not only memories that I lost but also eight years of my life. Thanks for cheering me up, Kurapika, Iris." Leila smiled in gratitude.

"No problem." Iris grinned while Kurapika just nodded with a small smile gracing his lips.

"We're here." The kiriko announced, catching the group's attention. They marveled at the magnificence of the huge building in front of them.

 _'Finally.'_ They all thought, they're here at the starting line of their dreams.

"No, that's not it. It's here." The kiriko corrected and pointed them to a little restaurant just besides the huge building they were marveling at.

"No, you gotta be kidding me." Leorio said in disbelief but the navigator just went into the restaurant giving the others no choice but to follow him.

The kiriko said some choice words at the man in the counter then they were led to a small room. Their navigator bid his farewell and in response the group thanked him for his help. Then the room began to descend and as it did so, it witnessed how Gon's supposedly harmless question caused Leorio and Kurapika's bickering which gave Iris some amusement that earned an exasperated sigh from Leila.

* * *

A sigh escaped from a 12 year old girl as she continued to fiddle on her handheld game console. She already finished her last game a while ago and now she's totally bored waiting for the hunter exam to start.

 _'Just when will this damn exam start?'_ The girl thought in frustration.

One of the things this particular girl practically hates was getting bored which was precisely what is happening to her now. She stopped fiddling with her PSP and decided to look around a bit to take a short break from her gaming activities. Most of the examinees are adults much older than her. She wondered about all the ambitions and desires gathered here at this exam. There are probably too many too count, of course, it included hers too. But to her becoming a hunter was not really what she wanted. In fact, she never really cared about the profession at all. All she wanted to do was play a game and that particular game was Greed Island. Greed Island was a legendary game and being the gamer that she is, she _can't_ not play it. But the biggest problem was that Greed Island was a game for hunters and apparently you cannot play the game if you are not one so here she is at the hunter exam on the process of being bored to death.

Why do that much only for a game, you ask? Well, that's because it's what she wants to do at the moment and she does what she wants. For her being restricted to do her own desires is also denying herself of the freedom she worked hard to get. Being born as Eclair Rainsworth, she was denied of her freedom and desires as a child. Her family was one of those rich and noble families that often raised their children in a strict environment and Eclair's family, particularly her grandmother, was stricter than most. She lost her parents at an early age so her grandmother was basically the one who raised her. Every day she was forced to learn etiquette and lessons from a bunch of tutors. She was never allowed to play or even step outside of the mansion. If she misbehaves, her grandmother personally deals with her until she has 'learned her lesson'. Oftentimes, her grandmother will lock her up in a dark room and starve her. The large mansion which only suggested comfort and luxury for the people who lived there was her prison that kept her from happiness and locked her to the hell she once called her life. So when the chance for an escape came, she never hesitated to take it. She ran away and never looked back. When she was finally out, there were definitely new hardships she had to face but the freedom she gained made it so much worth it. She ran away three years ago and a lot happened on those three years but that's another story for another time.

Then she noticed new examinees enter. There were two kids her age, a teenage girl and two guys. Then as soon as they got their number plates they were approached by the same ugly fat man she ignored earlier. The fat man would probably offer them those poisoned orange juice that he offered her. She just ignored him so she never got in contact with the particular orange juice but those new examinees might be in trouble if they accepted. Well, not that she cared anyway. If those guys were naive enough to drink something from a stranger then they're done for.

She turned her attention back at her PSP and started a new game. She became so engrossed with the game that she did not notice a certain someone approach her.

"Hi there, how are you doing?" Someone really near her asked.

Eclair noticed that the voice kinda sounded from a young boy but she was to busy with her game to look up and see who it is. Besides, it's probably not her that the boy was addressing his question to.

"Hey, what are you doing with that thing you're holding?"

Huh? Does the voice kinda sounded much nearer to her than the last? Then suddenly a tuft of black hair came into her view. Startled, Eclair immediately looked up to see who the snoopy stranger was and the stranger did too. Eclair's midnight blue eyes locked into the stranger's amber orbs. His eyes were quite nice, Eclair admitted to herself, but it seemed really, really close to her which means...

Heat immediately went up to Eclair's cheeks and her heart began beating like crazy.

"Ahh! Who the heck are you and what the heck do you think you're doing?!" Eclair yelled as she pushed the boy away. Moments ago, their faces were really too close for her comfort and, in fact, just centimeters more and they probably would have kissed. She was never this close to a boy before.


	6. Chapter 6 A New Friend

CHAPTER 6

A New Friend

* * *

 **GON**

After Tonpa gave the group the 'expired juice' and showed them to some exam veterans, Tonpa left which allowed Gon to scan the area more. As Gon continued to scan the area, he noticed a girl his age leaning on the wall that was busy fiddling with something.

"She's a bit shorter than Leila." Gon noticed.

Then curiosity took hold of him and before he knew it, his feet began walking towards the girl. As he got closer to her, he noticed more of her features. The girl had red hair almost like it's on fire. It was quite short that it just barely touched her shoulder blades. She also had dark blue eyes that were quite focused on the thing on her hand. She seemed really engrossed in her activity. A part of Gon kind of felt bad that he had to disturb her but the part of him that wanted to get to know her outweighed anything else at the moment.

When he was near enough he called out to her but she was too focused on what she was doing to notice him. That got him curious. What could she be doing that she couldn't notice that someone was calling out to her? So naturally, the next thing he did was go closer and ask her. She finally noticed him, they locked eyes and for some reason Gon can't fathom, she suddenly pushed him away and yelled. The thing she was holding fell at the action but Gon immediately caught it before it reached the ground. Gon noticed that her face was quite red.

"I'm Gon!" Gon grinned, answering the girl's question.

 **ECLAIR**

Eclair stared at Gon in disbelief.

 _'What the heck is this guy?'_

Gaining back her composure, Eclair scrutinized the stranger who almost gave her a heart attack. He seems to be around her age. He had this spiky black hair and a bit of a tan that somehow implied that he spent a lot of time under the sun. Then again their eyes locked. His eyes, as Eclair noticed earlier, was in a shade of amber contrary to her deep blue ones but his eyes also conveyed pure innocence which made Eclair wonder if he's kinda naive. Then she spotted her PSP in his possession. Did she somehow drop it?

"Okay...so what do you want? And if you don't mind, will you give me back my PSP?" Eclair asked.

"Oh, here." Gon immediately gave her back her gadget.

Eclair was quite surprise that he promptly gave her back her gadget. She was half-expecting that he would make a run for it. She really doesn't trust strangers even if the stranger happens to be quite cute and innocent.

"So back to question one. What do you want?" Eclair asked again.

"Um...nothing really. I just want to get to know you." Gon replied.

What? So this guy approached her, disturbed her and made her soul almost leap out of her skin all for that one measly reason. Eclair was not happy. She was quite pissed, in fact.

"My name's Barbeque and I'm 102 years old. I lived in outer space and I spent most of my time fishing for asteroids." Eclair lied, not bothering to hide her irritation. "Satisfied? Now, can you leave me alone?"

"Sugoi! You're really interesting, Barbeque!"

Eclair did a double take. This guy actually bought one of the lamest lies she came up with? Is he really that naive? Eclair tried to search Gon for any sarcasm but all she could see was genuine amazement that it actually scared her a bit. She never encountered this kind of person before. His naive and too innocent amber orbs somehow made Eclair feel bad that she actually lied to him in the first place.

"You're really interesting! Ne Barbeque-san, I want to be friends with you! Be my friend!"

' _Wait...what now?'_ Eclair can't really believe this guy.

"No! Why should I?" Eclair responded.

"Why not?"

"Because I decided it so."

"Eh..." Gon pouted. He really wanted to be her friend. If she's gonna be stubborn about it then he'll be stubborn too. "Then I'll stick with you until you say yes."

"What? I told you I'm not interested."

"Ok. I'll just stay with you until you say yes."

Eclair glared at Gon but even as she did so he didn't budge. Looks like Gon was more stubborn than she thought. Eclair sighed. It seems there's gonna be no other way to get rid of him but to agree.

"Alright, alright...I'll be your friend or whatever. Now, can you leave me alone?"

"Really?! Yatta!" Gon exclaimed in happiness showing Eclair a big grin.

Eclair's eyebrow twitched. Can't he detect the sarcasm in her last statement? He practically looked genuinely happy that Eclair can't but think if she should be amazed or terrified of his nativity.

"Ah sou da!" Gon bumped his closed fist at his open palm as if figuring something out. "Barbeque, I'll introduce you to Leila and my other friends too. I think they'll be happy to meet to you."

Gon then proceeded to take Eclair's hand and dragged her across the room before she could say anything. Eclair, meanwhile, blushed at the sudden contact and tried to stammer out commands for Gon to stop which ended up useless.

After passing through a crowd of examinees, Gon finally stopped upon seeing the raven-haired twelve year old he was looking for.

 **LEILA**

"Leila!" Gon called.

"Gon, where have you been? You suddenly disappeared." Leila asked.

"I brought a new friend." Gon grinned.

Leila's attention immediately went to the girl Gon dragged who seems quite flushed at the moment.

"Her name's Barbeque and she's 102 years old!" Gon introduced, his smile never leaving his face.

 _'Okay...now that had to be a lie...'_ Leila thought as she looked at her bestfriend in disbelief. Why did the girl lie?

Leila looked at the red haired girl once more. She noticed the girl looked quite irritated. Then she arrived at a conclusion or rather a deduction of what happened. The girl just might just had a taste of Gon's stubbornness. Leila sighed. For once, Leila doesn't know if she should be impressed or just be exasperated of Gon's ways.

"Gon's not really a bad person, you know." Leila said to the girl. "He's just stubborn most of the time. And if you're worried about any hostile ulterior motive he might have, then you must know by now that he can't possibly have one. He genuinely wants to be your friend and I'd also be happy if you could consider me as a friend too." Leila smiled.

Eclair looked at Leila. She seems nice and, most of all, she seems to be telling the truth. Gon and, even Leila, don't seem to have any ulterior motives at all. So...maybe she was just acting a bit too immature. Eclair took a deep breath, cooling her previous anger and irritation down.

"I'm Eclair, 12 years old."

Leila gave Eclair another smile.

"Nice to meet you, Eclair. I'm Leila, also 12 years old." Leila replied as she held her hand out for a handshake which Eclair eventually took.

"Eclair?" Gon's confused voice interrupted.

"I lied. My first introduction was a lie. So my name's not Barbeque, I don't live in outer space and I have never fished or even tried to fish an asteroid. Disappointed?" Eclair responded with a slight smirk.

"Ah sokka! So your name's really Eclair. I think it suits you a lot better than Barbeque. And you're 12 years old so we have the same age!" Gon grinned.

Leila sighed at Gon's typically nonchalant attitude at Eclair's lie.

"Why did you lie, Eclair?" Gon asked.

"I don't have and I don't need to explain myself to you but just so you know it was actually your fault."

"Ehhhh?"

Sensing that Gon's stubbornness about to act again, Leila immediately tried to change the subject.

"Ne, don't you think it's kind of nice meeting someone our age in this exam? I mean most of the examinees are adults...most of them are even men. I'm really glad to meet another girl here and especially someone with the same age." Leila remarked catching the attention of the other two.

"Now that you mention it...I guess it's not bad...meeting the two of you." Eclair replied earning a smile from Gon and Leila.

"But are we the only 12 year olds here?" Leila inquired.

"No, I think there was another one. I kinda saw him pass by me...but wait...he had white hair...so he may just be an old man...a really short old man." Eclair responded.

"So he was around our height?"

"Yeah, I guess that's why I kinda thought he was around our age."

"But it'll be nicer if he was really around our age. I'd like to be friends with him." Gon commented.

"Oi, oi, are you planning to befriend every kid you meet in here, Gon?" Eclair jokingly asked.

But before Gon could answer, a ring echoed around the area catching everybody's attention. The source of the came from some instrument a man in a suit was holding. As all of the examinees attention went to the man, the man in the suit spoke.

"The hunter exam will now begin. I am Satotz, the first phase examiner. You must follow me to the second phase of the exam. This is the exam's first phase."


	7. Chapter 7 Killua Enters

CHAPTER 7

Killua Enters

* * *

It's been two hours since the first phase of the exam started. Two hours since all of the examinees started to run along the monotonous view of the tunnel they are in. Two hours since they have followed the examiner yet the exit was still out of their sights.

Some of the examinees' strength and stamina have started to run dry but the examiner was still not stopping. One of the said tired examinees was Leorio. Running around tunnels for a very, very long time isn't really his cup of tea. Then suddenly, the sound of wheels caught his attention and eventually its source came up in front of him.

"Hey kid! Show the hunter exam some respect! That's cheating!" Leorio exclaimed angrily pointing at the skateboard.

The user of the skateboard was a young boy. He was just around Gon's age but his features were quite peculiar. He skin was quite pale and as if that wasn't enough, his hair was also white.

"Why?" The boy asked.

"What do you mean 'why'?! This is an endurance test so that's clearly cheating!" Leorio reasoned.

"No, it's not." A new voice entered the conversation.

"What the heck are you talking about, Gon?!"

"The examiner just told us to follow him. He never said it's an endurance test." Gon responded.

"Gon, just whose side are you on?!"

The silver haired boy slowed his pace down till it matched Gon's pace. The raven haired boy seemed to have certainly caught his attention.

"How old are you?" The silver haired boy asked.

"12 years old" Gon replied.

"Hmmmm...Is that so..." Then suddenly the silver haired boy jumped off his skateboard and started to run. "I think I'll run from now on."

"That was cool." Gon commented. "I'm Gon."

"I'm Killua." The pale boy responded.

Just a few distance behind the two boys, two girls we're observing the whole exchange.

"Is he the one you were talking about earlier, Eclair?" Leila asked.

"I guess so."

Deciding to join the two boys, the girls sped up and matched their pace with the boys. Leila ran beside Killua while Eclair ran beside Gon.

"Oh...so you were not an old man...I thought you were one with that white hair of yours." Eclair remarked.

A vein popped on Killua's head. He looked at the new arrival. It was a red-haired girl his age.

"Oh really...By the way, you're really short. Are you a dwarf, by any chance?" Killua retorted.

Now a vein popped on Eclair's head.

"Hey, you two just met. Starting a fight already?" Leila chuckled at the two, quite amused.

The girl's feminine voice immediately caught Killua's attention. He turned his head to the source, suddenly forgetting his previous irritation. It was another girl his age. The other girl irritated him the moment she opened her mouth but this girl beside him mesmerized him. Killua instantly noted how pretty she was. Her long black hair flowed behind her back and her unusual purple eyes stared back at him.

"Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Leila. The other red haired girl happens to be Eclair." Leila introduced.

"Killua" The silver haired boy simply responded.

"Nice to meet you, grandpa." Eclair said. Her previous irritation clearly hasn't passed.

"Likewise, dwarf." Killua retaliated earning another chuckle from Leila.

"Looks like you two are getting along just fine." Gon grinned.

"What nonsense are you talking about, Gon?!" Eclair exclaimed but Gon just laughed in reply.

"Hey, is that natural?" Leila asked Killua. "Your hair, I mean..."

"Yeah it is."

"Hmmm...That is quite rare and unusual..."

"Have you seen your own eyes? Your purple eyes seem to be a lot more rare and unusual than mine unless they're fake."

"Touché." Leila chuckled. "Ne, can I touch your hair?"

"Huh? Why would you want to?" Killua was quite confused at the sudden request.

"No particular reason. I just want to."

"Well..."

Before Killua could formulate a proper answer the girl already reached out to him and begun ruffling his hair.

"Wow, your hair is so soft. It's totally different from Gon's pointy rock hard hair." Leila smiled.

Killua meanwhile flushed a bit as the girl continued to ruffle his hair. She was smiling as she did so and Killua can't help but notice how cute it is. Having enough of the girl's ministrations (though he didn't actually hate it), he grabbed the girl's hand that was ruffling his hair. However, he never anticipated the moment his hand touched hers. He suddenly felt some kind of jolt pierce through his body but it wasn't really unpleasant though. Killua noted how soft her hand is.

"Killua, gomen. Did it bother you that much?"

Leila's voice interrupted Killua's train of thought. He realized he just spaced out holding Leila's hand. To salvage himself from the awkwardness he felt, he let Leila's hand go. He immediately missed the warmth he felt when he held her hand.

"Betsuni..." Killua murmured in response, avoiding eye contact with the girl.

Then suddenly Leila's attention went somewhere else or rather went to someone else. In the next few moments, both Leila and Gon stopped running which also beckoned the other two to stop.

"Is he an acquaintance of yours?" Eclair asked.

"He's our friend." Gon answered.

They were all staring at Leorio who had stopped running trying to catch his breath. The tiredness and fatigue were very obvious on Leorio's features.

"He's already washed out. There's no hope for him. Let's go." Killua said.

"No, I don't think so. Leorio's quite tough, you know." Leila responded.

Just then, as if proving Leila's comment, Leorio suddenly stood up and began to run like a bat out of hell discarding his shirt and leaving behind his briefcase. Leila and Gon both smiled. They both knew that Leorio won't just give up that easily. The other two were quite surprised though. Then Gon took out his fishing pole and literally fished out Leorio's briefcase deciding to carry it.

"Cool" Killua commented. "Let me try that one later."

"If you'll also let me try your skateboard."

Killua nodded.

"Come on, let's go. We're done here right?" Eclair said as she looked at the other examinees that had already ran ahead.

"Yeah, let's go catch up with the others." Leila agreed.

* * *

Meanwhile, Leorio finally managed to catch up with Kurapika and Iris who were running together up ahead of Gon's group.

"Yo, Leorio. You finally managed to catch up but, I must say, you kinda look ridiculous without your shirt and with only your necktie hanging around your neck." Iris commented grinning at the sight of Leorio. She's teasing him now but she's actually quite glad that Leorio didn't give up.

"I just realized that it's better if I don't care about how stupid I look at the moment." Leorio replied earning a chuckle from Iris.

"Leorio, can I ask you a question?" Kurapika suddenly asked which gained Iris and Leorio's attention towards him.

"What is it?" Leorio inquired permitting Kurapika to ask.

"I've seen many people lust after money but I believe you are not as shallow as them. What do you really want, Leorio?"

"..." Leorio hesitated.

"Scarlet eyes. That's the reason why the Kuruta clan is targeted. When our emotions rise, particularly when we feel anger, our eyes turns red and it stays that way when we die. The color of our scarlet eyes is considered one of the seven treasures of the world."

"So that's really the reason why your clan was massacred, Kurapika." Iris voiced out her realization. "Frankly, I've read about your clan before and I suspected that the eyes of your clan may be the reason why they were killed. But still…I don't think the value of your clan's scarlet eyes could equal the life of every member of your clan. Those scarlet eyes may be one of the expensive treasures of the world but it wouldn't still be enough to scale out the individual lives of your clan, they are priceless...ah...Sorry, Kurapika, for talking like I knew everything...l..."

"No, don't be." Kurapika interrupted before Iris could continue. "Thank you for thinking about it that way." Kurapika smiled softly at Iris. Gratitude showed clearly in his face.

Iris, meanwhile, felt her heart just skipped a beat. Fighting down the blush on her cheeks, she turned to Leorio in an attempt to compose herself.

"So Leorio, is it really money you are after?"

"Yeah, it's money. It's still money I'm after. You can buy anything with money, even lives. The world revolves around money."

"Leorio, if you're insulting my clan, I won't forgive you!" Kurapika exclaimed angrily.

"If I had money then my friend wouldn't have died!"

"Was it a disease?" Kurapika asked as realization dawned on him.

"It wasn't an untreatable disease but the treatment cost too much. I'm just simpleminded so I thought I'd be a doctor and treat people for free. But it seems that to be a doctor, you'll need a lot more money. So I want money! More money!"

"Leorio..." Iris softy smiled at him. "That's quite a noble goal, Leorio. I've changed my opinion of you."

"Whatever." Leorio blushed quite happy and embarrassed.

As for Kurapika, he's glad that Leorio really isn't just a shallow human being who lusted after money but somehow something really made him irritated. He watched Iris and Leorio interact with each other. Iris was smiling and Leorio was blushing and for the life of him, Kurapika couldn't understand why he is so bothered by the scene.

* * *

"Ne, let's have a race to see who arrives at the finish line first." Gon suggested as the four of them ran.

"A race, huh? It wouldn't be interesting without a prize. What's the prize of the winner, Gon?" Leila asked.

"The loser has to buy dinner for the winners."

"Fair enough. I'm in."

"Ok. I'm in too." Killua announced.

"Pass."

The three of them all turned to the red-haired girl who just refused to participate in the game.

"But Eclair..." Gon whined at his recently found friend. "It's gonna be more fun if you join."

"No."

"Eclair..." Gon pouted. "Please...I won't stop until you say yes."

"..."

As Leila observed the scene, she felt very familiar with it. Living with Gon practically means living with a stubborn mule and she experienced Gon's tactics of persuasion much too often to know that this would likely end in Gon's favor.

"Alright! Just spare me the whining!" Eclair finally gave in. The heavy truth finally sunk down on Eclair's entire being. Eclair Rainsworth, as stubborn as she considers herself to be, is no match for Gon's version of stubbornness. It was a whole new level altogether.

"So practically, the loser or the last one will buy the other three's dinner, right?" Leila clarified now that Eclair is also joining the race.

"It's kinda bad for the loser but it will be his or her fault for being slow." Killua responded.

"Ne, since there are four of us, why don't we team up? Two vs. two. Then the loser won't have to lose too much money." Gon suggested.

"I guess that will be alright with me." Leila answered.

Before the other two could say their opinion about it, however, Gon already considered the decision done.

"Eclair, let's team up!" Gon exclaimed immediately taking the girl's hand on his for the second time since they met.

"Why me?!" Eclair flushed as she felt the familiar warmth in hand. He's doing it to her again. He's making her feel that nervous, queasy but not really unpleasant feeling in her stomach again. Really, what is wrong with him- no that's not quite right- what is wrong with her? Why the heck is she feeling like this?

"Since they're teaming up, I guess the both of us should team up, Killua." Leila said.

"Sure, no problem. Just make sure you're not gonna slow me down." Killua teased.

"Not gonna happen. But are you sure that you're not gonna slow _me_ down?" Leila teased back, grinning.

"Eclair, let's go on ahead. We'll wait for you at the finish line guys!" Gon said as he took off dragging the blushing Eclair with him.

"Gon, that's not fair!" Leila shouted at her friend, immediately speeding up and running after the other two. Then she noticed that her partner wasn't running beside her. "Killua hurry up! They're gaining and I definitely don't want to lose!"

Killua smirked. Looks like he gained himself a rather competitive partner.

* * *

A few more minutes passed and the racers found themselves running ahead of some other participants. The four of them were once again running side by side but this time at a more fast pace. Then Leila and Gon saw the familiar back of their other friends. Gon and Leila sped up and match their pace with the other three. Eclair who was dragged by Gon had no choice but to follow while Killua just immediately followed his teammate.

"Iris, Kurapika, Leorio, how's it going?" Leila greeted.

"So you two finally show up. I was wondering where the two of you were." Iris answered.

"Gomen, Iris. We got a bit preoccupied."

"Hey, you're that skateboarding brat!" Leorio suddenly exclaimed.

"Nice to see you again, ossan." Killua responded earning a tick mark from Leorio.

"Ossan ja ne! I'm still in my teens, you brat!"

"Uso!" Gon yelled in surprise.

"That's gotta be a lie." Eclair commented or rather concluded.

"Unbelievable." Kurapika remarked.

"Leorio, are you sure you didn't have amnesia like this short stuff here?" Iris asked totally in doubt of the unbelievable revelation.

"Leave my amnesia out of this! And my height has nothing to do with this argument!"


	8. Chapter 8 Girl Friends and Girlfriends

CHAPTER 8

Girl Friends and Girlfriends

* * *

"Setting aside the unbelievable revelation..." Iris said trying to change the topic about Leorio's age for another topic that caught her curiosity while Leorio made some kind of indignant noise. "Looks like you and Leila got busy, Gon. Who might these two be?"

"Oops...forgot the introductions." Leila realized. "Killua, Eclair, let me introduce the teenage girl Iris, the teenage blond Kurapika, and the doubtfully teenage dude Leorio."

"Oi!"

"Guys, this is Killua and the red haired girl is Eclair." Leila continued ignoring Leorio's protests about the introduction.

"Yorushiku." Killua responded while Eclair just nodded in acknowledgement.

"By the way, I'm curious. The four of you just met hours ago, right?" Iris inquired which Leila answered with a nod. "Then mind telling me why Gon and Eclair are holding hands."

"Wait, what?!" In case you haven't guessed, that was Leorio noticing. "How come you got a girlfriend before me, Gon?!"

"I'M NOT HIS GIRLFRIEND!" We all know who that is.

"But Eclair, you're my friend, right?" Gon asked in confusion. Innocent confusion.

"Actually, I'm kind of regretting that decision at the moment." Oh...Eclair's in one of her moods again but even then she made no move to remove her hand from Gon's.

"And, Eclair, you're a girl right?"

"Gon, I lied about my age but I never lied about my gender."

"You're my friend and you're a girl, so why aren't you my girlfriend?"

Eclair developed a whole new level of red. But before she couldn't stop herself from stammering some indignant response, she began to breath in and out trying to calm herself from the current predicament.

"Leila, or anybody with common sense at the moment, will you please correct the situation before I get violent." Eclair seethed.

The request almost fell into deaf ears. The others whom the red haired girl hoped to have some common sense seemed to have lost themselves into insane laughter at the moment. Eclair, meanwhile, developed a few more tick marks on her head.

Fortunately, someone was composed enough to not fall into same the problem. Kurapika sweatdropped at the scene. Seriously, how could Iris's innocent question turn into this? Well, whatever the cause, he better salvage this...er...situation.

"Gon, I don't think that's what he meant by a girlfriend..."

"What do you mean, Kurapika?" Gon asked.

"..." Kurapika hesitated. Now that he thought about it...what should he say?

As Kurapika was at loss for words, Iris managed to compose herself to observe the conversation. Oh...her teasing soul just can't let this go.

"Kurapika, I'm curious too. Enlighten us please." Iris teasingly grinned at the blonde.

Great. Just great. Of all the people to get into teasing mode, he got the most troublesome of all. He better find a way out of this conversation. As he looked around, he found it. He found a way out of the conversation. Well, technically, a way out of the tunnel would be more precise.

"Look, the exit's near."

Fortunately, the announcement was enough to turn everybody's attention around.

"Eclair, come on. Time for us to win!" Gon completely forgot about the conversation and remembered the race. He sped towards the exit dragging Eclair with him.

"Oh no, you don't!" Leila got competitive again seeing Gon on the move.

Killua, meanwhile, smirked again at the competitiveness of his partner. She will definitely be a bit of a sore loser if they lose. Well, not that he's planning to lose. Then suddenly an idea came to him.

"Iris, hold this for me for a while." He threw his skateboard to Iris who actually managed to catch it despite the surprise. But before she could form a response, Killua already sped up to catch Leila _literally_.

As he caught up to Leila, he put his arms around the girl's back and another arm went down beneath her knees effectively sweeping the girl off her feet. Leila's eyes widened at the action.

 _'What just happened?'_

They were running fast towards Gon, towards the exit, but technically Killua was the one running. Leila, as much as she found the situation quite sudden and peculiar, was speechless in Killua's arms. He was carrying her like a groom would do for his bride and Leila can't help but blush and stare at the silver-head. His face was so near and if she hasn't noticed how handsome he is when they first met, well, she is without a doubt noticing it now. She noted how he carried her with ease like she was a weightless little thing.

"Put your arms around my neck if you don't know where to place them." Killua said as he noticed her uncomfortably confused with the placement of her arms.

"..." Leila, unable to trust her voice at the moment, just followed Killua's suggestion meekly.

 _'Damn it. Why the heck did I suggest this?'_ Killua thought as his heart began beating like crazy at the girl's action. Then it got worse as he felt the girl's breath on his neck. The placement of the girl's arms drew the both of them in some kind of a hug. This is seriously messing up his sanity.

He definitely did not think this through. Well, actually, he did not think of the whole situation through. He thought of a better way to catch up and win, went with his plan recklessly and now he has to deal with the consequences. The consequences weren't all that bad though. Except for the crazy beating of his heart, he found that he certainly doesn't mind carrying the girl. She fit snuggly in his arms. She didn't weigh much to him but that was maybe because he was quite strong physically. He observed she was a bit thin though, petite, to be exact. He wondered if she doesn't eat that much. She was also soft. Really soft. What the heck is she made of that made her this soft? Then her scent. It wasn't bad. It was the opposite actually. He found her scent rather pleasing and quite addicting. He better stop thinking about her this way lest he wants to turn himself into a pervert. Seriously, this girl's effect on him...it's driving him crazy.

"We have a better chance of winning if we do it this way." Killua said, trying to break the awkward silence.

The girl just nodded in response. She was too quiet and strangely being meek. The boy decided that he better remedy it before it got worse.

"I mean, considering how slow you are, it will be faster if I run for the both of us."

"What the heck did you just say?!"

Killua smirked. Mission accomplished. Now, just a little bit more.

"Are you also turning deaf?"

"I am not and I am certainly not slow!"

Leila's eyes widened in realization. Killua's teasing just brought her out of the awkward trance she's been in. It was more of being lost in thought though. Awkward thoughts. Whatever Killua just did, it did wonders. I mean, why did she just make a big deal out of this? The action wasn't really foreign to her. Gon did this to her when she would sometimes accidentally sleep on the shop. He would carry in his arms and take her to her room. She never made a big deal out of it. It was just a friend carrying her. No big deal. Killua was her friend. Gon was her friend. What made her feelings towards Killua so different?

"Mattaku, if you were going to do it this way, you could've at least warned me."

"I could, but I didn't." Came the boy's nonchalant response.

"Hey, Killua..."

"What?"

"You know, we still haven't caught up to Gon."

"..."

Are you seriously as fast as you think?"

"..."

"Should we exchange roles?"

That did it. Killua sped up a lot which made Leila giggle a bit. Bruising one's ego to get what you want is quite effective when the situation calls for it.

* * *

"GOAL!"

Satotz was quite surprised to see the two pairs of children stepping out of the tunnel simultaneously. The black haired boy was holding hands with a red haired girl while the silver haired boy carried a girl with raven locks who now had her feet on the ground after she requested the boy to let her down.

"Ne, who arrived at the exit first?" The boys asked him while the girls looked at him expectantly. These children made a race out of his task. Satotz was quite amused and impressed. These children actually managed to keep up with his pace.

"The both of you and your girl friends arrived at the same time." Satotz answered honestly.

"I'M NOT HIS GIRLFRIEND!" The red haired girl immediately reacted to the word 'girlfriend'. The girl's blush matched the color of her hair.

"Eh? Why?" The black haired boy questioned.

"Why? What do you mean 'why', Gon?!"

"Well...you and Leila are my girlfriends, right?" The boy Gon reached out his other hand to the black haired girl who sweatdropped but didn't seem to mind the boy's hold.

Satotz raised an eyebrow. It looks like there was some kind of misunderstanding. Maybe he should've phrased his statement differently.

"Gon, actually a girlfriend is-" The girl Leila began to explain but before she could say another word, she was pulled from Gon's hold towards the other boy's chest. The silver haired boy gripped his arms around the girl's waist effectively trapping her.

"Killua? What are you doing?" Leila asked who immediately caught the teasing grin on Killua's face as she looked up.

"Gon, you already have the dwarf. Hands off mine." Killua teasingly grinned. It was meant to be a joke but saying it somehow made him feel quite good.

Eclair glared at Killua both for the insult and the action altogether. He's making the whole thing worse. Leila was just about to explain and now he pulls this stunt. This guy is getting on her nerves.

"Hey guys, how was the race?" It was Iris who just arrived with Kurapika and Leorio.

The children surprisingly glanced at each other. Now, that they think about it. They just actually forgot about the race.


	9. Chapter 9 Events within the Fog

CHAPTER 9

Events Within the Fog

* * *

The participants ran through the Numere Wetlands within the fog and within the screams of the unfortunate ones who fell into the mouths of the creatures of the marsh.

"Gon, Leila and you too dwarf, let's go move towards the front." Killua suggested.

"Don't call me dwarf, grandpa." Eclair glared at Killua but didn't voice out any disagreement with his suggestion.

"The fog's getting thicker. I guess it's better to move towards the front so that we won't lose sight of the examiner." Leila agreed.

"That's not all. It's better if we move away from Hisoka." Killua glanced at Hisoka for a moment.

"Hisoka?" Gon asked, confused about Hisoka's role in the conversation.

"He's probably gonna start killing once the fog gets thicker. I can tell it from the smell."

Gon sniffed the air. "I don't think he smells though."

"I also don't feel good about him, Gon." Eclair said. "He looks dangerous."

"Oh. Ok." Then Gon turned his head towards the back and yelled. "Leorio, Kurapika, Iris! Killua said that we better run at the front!"

"If we could, we would've been there!" Leorio yelled back.

"You continue ahead, Gon. Don't worry about us." This time it was Kurapika who answered.

"I'll also stay with them, Gon. See you guys at the finish line." Iris also gave her response.

"This guy has really no sense of tension." Killua commented earning a sweatdrop from Leila. The black haired girl couldn't really agree more.

* * *

"Is it really ok for you to run with us, Iris?" Kurapika asked, concerned. "I mean, I think it is well within your capabilities to run ahead."

"Why, Kurapika? Don't you like me here with you anymore?" Iris fake pouted. Teasing someone is really something she can't resist.

"I-I-It's n-not..I-I mean..." Kurapika stammered through his blush.

Iris chuckled. "Kurapika, you're cute."

Kurapika blushed into a deeper shade of red. He's been had. She was teasing him and he failed to recognize it. And then the comment. It was the perfect recipe for his embarrassment. But seeing Iris happily chuckling at his blunder, he felt he doesn't mind. He was making her smile and that was enough for him.

"But really, I'd rather run with you and Leorio. I'd be too worried to run ahead if I leave the two alone." Iris reassured. Then she linked one arm around Kurapika's arm and the other arm around Leorio's. The two men blushed at the sudden action from the girl.

"Besides, we teenagers should stick together." Iris continued her answer. "Even if one of us is unbelievably one."

"Hey! I'm still nineteen!"

Leorio's statement was enough to send Iris in another round of chuckles.

* * *

"That damn, stupid, disgusting frog." Eclair cursed in anger and irritation.

"Let's just be thankful that it didn't digest us before it spat us out." Leila said trying to chill her friend's rage.

The four of them were swallowed by a giant frog as they ran. Fortunately, it spat them out almost immediately. Its saliva went along for the ride which caused the red haired girl's irritation.

"It just spat us out because of this juice, you know." Killua informed as he dangled a can of orange juice for everyone to see.

"That's Tonpa-san's juice." Gon recognized.

" Yeah. But whatever, we could still get out without this thing anyway." Killua threw the can away and stood up. "Let's go catch up with the main group. We can still make it if we hurry."

The others stood and nodded. The group resumed their run but after a while Leila noticed Gon slowing down.

"What's wrong, Gon?" Leila asked. Her question halted everyone steps and all stared at Gon in confusion.

"I'm worried about the others." Gon voiced out his concern.

"They can take care of themselves, Gon." Killua responded.

"I know but still..." Gon hesitated then turned around making up his mind. "I think I better go back and check if they are alright."

"Then I'll come with you, Gon." Leila motioned to follow her friend but a sudden tug on her hand stopped her. She turned around and immediately noticed Killua holding her hand with an unreadable expression on his face. "Killua?"

When Killua saw Leila about to leave, his hand just automatically reached for the girl's hand. He doesn't know what's gotten into him to do what he did. All he knows is that he doesn't want Leila away from him. He wants her by his side. There's also this very unpleasant feeling in his stomach that he felt when he thought about Leila leaving him to be with Gon. It was irrational and unreasonable but that's exactly what he was feeling at the moment.

"Stay with Killua and Eclair, Leila."

Gon's request brought Killua out of his thoughts.

"Don't worry I'll catch up with you as soon as I can." Gon assured. "I'll bring the others with me too."

"Ok." Leila relented, albeit hesitantly. "Just be careful alright?"

"I will."

"Avoid Hisoka at all cost, Gon. It's safer if you don't run into him at all." Killua warned recovering from the questionable feeling he felt before.

"Ok."

"You better not make us wait for too long, idiot." Eclair said masking her concern. In all honesty, she was a bit displeased and worried about Gon leaving but she wasn't one to admit that to anyone.

"I promise, Eclair." Gon smiled and ran back. "Ja."

Leila, Killua and Eclair resumed their run looking around for the main group.

"Killua, is something bothering you?" Leila asked.

"Why do you ask?"

"You've been holding my hand for a while now."

Leila half expected that he'd let go but instead his hold on her tightened.

"Betsuni. The fog's just getting thicker. It's troublesome if we get separated."

"Oh." Leila realized. "Then you should hold hands with Eclair too. I mean, the three of us should stick together."

"I'd rather hold hands with a frog than hold hands with that grandpa." Eclair intervened.

"I couldn't agree more, dwarf. A frog even seems to be a lot more appealing than you." Killua retorted.

A few tick marks appeared on Eclair's head which Leila immediately sensed. This two might just kill each other any moment now. She should've kept her mouth shut. But what's done was done. All that's left now is execute a solution to prevent any eventual injuries so Leila reached out to Eclair's hand and held it.

"Then it's no problem if it's me, right Eclair?" Leila smiled.

Eclair sighed. "I guess its ok. At least it's you, not him."

* * *

"Let's split up on my signal."

Kurapika stared at the bloodthirsty man before them. They were running through the fog when they spotted Hisoka playing examiner with the other examinees who now lied dead on the ground. Now, Hisoka wants to play with them.

"Split up?" Leorio questioned.

"We can't take him down. He's too strong. Even if we work together, the result will probably be the same." Iris said bitterly.

"His capabilities are clearly superior to ours. We'll have a higher chance of surviving this if we split up." Kurapika continued.

"Damn it. Then I guess there's no choice." Leorio finally consented.

At Kurapika's signal, the three of them ran in different directions. As Iris ran, she began organizing her thoughts and calming herself down. She hates to admit it but she was scared. She was scared of Hisoka. He was merciless and bloodthirsty akin to demons that she would sometimes read about in books. Yet, all the while, she can't help but admire his skills. He was strong and she, Iris, is also aiming to be strong. She hates how bloodthirsty he is though. That man won't hesitate to kill anyone. If the three of them stayed there then they definitely would die. It was a blessing that Kurapika was there to steer them into the right action.

Right. Kurapika. Kurapika and Leorio. Where are they? Weren't they able to get away? Iris became frantic. She already ran a bit far from the site. She already ran a far enough distance yet she hasn't seen the both of them. Worry permeated her whole body. Without a second thought, she began running back. She won't let it happen _again_. She won't let anyone she cares for die if she can help it. Not anymore.

Then the sound of someone running caught her attention. It came from her side and it was running towards her. She stopped and waited for the person to come near enough for her to identify. Then she saw something blond through the fog. Kurapika. It was Kurapika. Before she knew it, she was running towards him. Before she knew it, she had her arms around him. And before she knew it, they were both on the ground with her embracing him tight.

After a few moments, Iris realized what she had done. She blushed. The relief of seeing him was too much that she couldn't help but do what she did.

"Gomen, Kurapika. I didn't know what came over me."

"A-ah...it's alright." Kurapika responded who for some reason can't look her in the eye.

Recovering, Iris looked around. "Where's Leorio, Kurapika?"

"He is-"

Before Kurapika could answer, they both heard a shout. It was Leorio. They were both stunned. The fog was thick so they had no clue what just happened. Then the next thing they heard surprised them even more. It was another shout but this time it came from someone much younger. Then it both hit them it was Gon.

"Gon?!" Iris stood up in surprise. "What's he doing there?"

Without hesitation, Iris ran towards the voices worried about their friends while Kurapika immediately followed her.

"I'll come with you, Iris."

Iris nodded in acknowledgement.

* * *

"Gon! Leorio!" Iris yelled hoping that the two would respond not caring if Hisoka heard her. She was too worried about her friends to even think about him.

Then the fog cleared. The both of them saw Gon on the ground but Leorio nor Hisoka was anywhere to be seen.

"Gon, are you alright?" Kurapika asked in concern as he approached the younger boy.

"I'm alright."

"Where's Leorio?" Iris inquired.

"Hisoka carried him."

"What?!" Kurapika and Iris exclaimed in alarm.

"He said he'll bring him to next site of the exam. He said we passed so he won't kill him."

* * *

Leila looked worriedly at the direction of the marsh. Most of the participants including her, Éclair and Killua are already at the site of the second phase of the exam. It had been thirty minutes since they arrived and the others are still nowhere to be found. Leila was getting really worried that she unknowingly squeezed Killua's hand that was still holding hers.

Leila and Éclair let go of each other the moment they arrived. Éclair wanted to take something out of her bag and check something. Killua never let go of her though. Leila didn't ask and just accepted the boy's gesture thankfully. Frankly, Killua's hand on hers somehow comforted and assured some part of her, though, for the life of her, she can't understand why.

Then Hisoka arrived who was surprisingly carrying an unconscious Leorio on his back. Leila's eyes widened.

' _Just what on earth happened?'_

Hisoka deposited the still unconscious Leorio at the trunk of a nearby tree and left. The action brought Leila out of her stupor and she immediately approached Leorio letting go of Killua in the process. Feeling the absence of Leila's hand, Killua turned to the girl and found her running towards Leorio. Éclair also noticed this so the both of them ended up following Leila.

"Leorio, wake up!" Leila shook Leorio trying to wake him up. It's not working though. The guy's still unconscious.

"Éclair, Killua, Leila!" A shout interrupted Leila's efforts.

Gon finally arrived. Kurapika and Iris came with him too.

"You guys' really got me worried, you know." Leila pouted.

However, rather than a verbal reply, Leila got a hug from Iris in return. She let go of her after a while. The others raised an eyebrow at the scene not sure what to make of it but they made no move to stop it.

"Mind enlightening me about the sudden hug, Iris?"

"I'm just happy to see you." Iris grinned earning a confused look from Leila. "I guess, I missed you guys." Then Iris turned to Killua and Éclair. "You two want a hug too?"

"Pass." Killua and Éclair replied simultaneously.

"Eh? Why not?"

The others sweatdropped.

 _'What's gotten into her all of a sudden?_ ''

* * *

 **Author's Note: As I hit my ninth chapter and the eighth day since I've posted this story, I'd like give my grateful appreciation to xelectrox, LunaSawada27, gryffindorgal105 for favoriting and following my story. I'd also like to thank you guys who took the time to read my story. Hope you guys liked the story so far. Expect more chapters coming up! :)**


	10. Chapter 10 Cooking Time

CHAPTER 10

Cooking Time

* * *

"Congratulations to all of you who managed to reach here alive and well. Here, at Biska Forest Park is the site of the next phase of your exam. The 2nd phase of the exam shall now begin. I wish you all good luck." With one final announcement, Satotz left the examinees.

The gates opened only to reveal several cooking facilities lined up on the expanse of the land and two people who are obviously the second phase's examiners.

"We are the second phase examiners, Menchi…" A girl who looked in her twenties declared. Her blue hair was tied in knots and she wore a rather revealing outfit.

"Buhara." This time it was the other examiner who spoke. He was a really huge guy with a more enormous stomach.

The examiners then proceeded to explain their task. They were tasked to get the main ingredient, pork, from the surrounding forest and they are to cook it using the cooking facilities prepared. They pass if they cook something delicious that will satisfy the examiners' palate and the exam will end when the examiners already have their fill.

* * *

Leila looked around the forest trying to find the main ingredient of the task.

' _Where are we supposed to find a pig in this forest anyway?'_

Gon, meanwhile, just continued to walk around and the others followed him not really knowing what else to do. Then suddenly Gon jumped off a slope and slid himself down. The others, of course, followed. Killua gleefully slid himself down the slope following Gon. Leila followed then Éclair, Leorio was fourth, the next is Kurapika and the last one was Iris. Their quite enjoyable slide came into an abrupt stop though. Gon suddenly stopped which made Killua bump into him.

"Gon! What's the big idea?! Why did you sudden-"

Killua felt something bump into his back but that wasn't the reason why he stopped. It was the sudden feeling of something soft touch the shell of his ear. Was that…what he thought it was?

"Killua, gomen." Leila's voice came from his back. "I kinda accidentally…kissed you on the ear. Gomen." Leila apologized.

Killua blushed. Now, he was really grateful for Gon's abrupt stop.

"Oi, you white haired grandpa, you better not be thinking of something perverted." Éclair commented.

"Shut up, you dwarf from hell!" Killua retaliated.

"NANI?!"

Gon chuckled. "Killua and Éclair really get along well."

"WE DO NOT!"

A moment later, Leorio uneventfully bumped into Éclair amidst the argument then Kurapika followed. Then Iris eventfully bumped into Kurapika's back. It was only eventful for Kurapika though. Blood rushed into Kurapika's cheeks. Something really, really soft touched his back and he has a pretty good idea of what it is. The girl, meanwhile, is completely unaware of the effect of her feminine parts on the teenage blond with her full attention on the sight ahead.

There were pigs. A lot of them and more than that, they were huge.

"Guys, we found the pork." Iris announced dumbstruck at the sight.

"They're huge…" Leila commented quite amazed.

"They look weird." Éclair remarked a bit taken aback.

"Uh…they're chewing bones?" Leorio commented in disbelief.

"Don't tell me…they're carnivores…" Kurapika concluded.

"I guess we should start running?" Gon suggested as the pigs turned their attention to them.

* * *

The pigs ran after them tossing the other examinees in the air when they got in the way.

"Oh! I remembered something important." Iris suddenly announced as they ran.

"About what?" Leila asked.

"About these pigs." Iris responded.

"Then please spill because these damn pigs are a menace." Éclair grumbled as she run.

"I think they are species called the Great Stamp." Iris informed.

"They are the most ferocious pig in the world?" Kurapika asked for clarification which earned a nod of confirmation from Iris.

"Great to know." Leorio's words dripped sarcasm. "Now, any idea how to stop them?"

"As I recall, their weakness is…" Iris ran faster ahead then promptly turned around taking her weapon from her thigh. It extended into a steel pole then she jumped up towards the pig. Then she successfully hit the pig squarely in the forehead in her descent. The pig immediately fainted.

"So their weakness is their foreheads." Kurapika observed. "I guess their hard nose evolved to protect their soft foreheads."

Then Kurapika moved into action. Following what Iris did, he hit the pig on the forehead with his own weapon. Leorio hit the pig with his briefcase. Killua's hit seemed too fast for an accurate observation but he successfully made the pig faint. Gon led his pig to an apple tree that made the apples fall into its forehead. Then Gon finished the task with a hit from his fishing pole.

Leila led her pig a bit of a distance away from the group then she took a stone from the ground. With a quick and accurate aim, she landed a hard hit on the pig's forehead. Lastly, Éclair took her dagger from her bag. She jumped up towards the pig descending on its back. Then she jammed the butt of her dagger hard on its forehead.

Now, they all have their main ingredient. It's time to go back and cook.

* * *

The examinees began roasting their pigs and after few minutes later some examinees already presented their dish to the examiners but so far none of them have passed. Well, Buhara gave them an okay but the problem was Menchi. She was very particular about the taste of the dish and she found something wrong with every dish presented to her.

After observing some failed attempts of some examinees, Kurapika concluded that they may have a greater chance of passing if they cared about the presentation or rather the appearance of their dish.

Leorio, hearing this, confidently strolled to the examiner and presented his dish. It was the whole pig with a little flag standing on its back.

A tick mark appeared on Menchi's head. "WHAT IS THIS?! A KIDDIE MEAL?!"

Needless to say, Leorio was unsuccessful. Then Gon took his turn. He decorated his dish flowers and presented it.

"THIS IS JUST THE SAME THING!" Menchi threw another dish.

Another failed attempt and now, it was Kurapika's turn. He used some of the prepared ingredients provided. He made some kind of pork sandwich. Presenting it to Menchi, the ticked off examiner took a bite thinking that somebody finally gave her a decent dish with a decent appearance.

"THIS IS DISGUSTING! YOU ARE NO BETTER THAN 403!"

Kurapika went back to his post dejectedly. Of all people he could be compared with, it was Leorio he was on the same level with. All the while, Killua didn't even attempt to try.

The boys were rather unsuccessful so now it's time to turn the camera to the girls.

IRIS

Iris stared at her roasted pig thinking what she should do with it. If someone asked, she'd say she's a rather decent cook providing there's a recipe she could follow but now…there's no recipe. She has no choice but to experiment.

She chopped the pig into pieces then put it in a pot. Then she looked for the other ingredients in her pantry. She spotted some seasonings and vegetables. Then she took the soy sauce out.

' _This might be a good addition to my dish.'_

Iris turned the fire on then she poured the soy sauce in.

' _How much should I put in? I guess it won't be that bad if poured the whole bottle in.'_

And she did. Next, she spotted some vinegar. Thinking that it should be the same proportion as the soy sauce, she also poured the whole bottle vinegar in. She stirred the pot. Now, her dish turned into some kind of soup.

' _If it's a soup, then I should also put some vegetables.'_

She tossed a variety of vegetables in the pot not bothering to take note what those vegetables were. The she spotted some other seasonings and began putting them. She put pepper, salt, sugar, ketchup and other things she did not bother to remember.

After stirring for a while, Iris concluded her experiment finished. She then presented it to the examiner.

Menchi gave Iris a strange look.

"Is this even edible?"

Iris Summers = FAILED

* * *

LEILA

Leila's dish is progressing quite nicely. In fact, it was ready to eat. Like Iris, she chopped the pork into pieces and with some seasonings and vegetables here and there, it turned out quite decently. It looked delicious and maybe even tasted delicious. Unlike the others, Leila got a lot of experience under her belt when it came to cooking. She helped Mito-san cook a lot of times. But even though her dish was quite ready to be eaten, there was still something missing on her dish according to her own personal opinion.

Racking her brains for the missing ingredient, Leila stared at the seasonings in front of her. The she spotted it: chili powder. I mean, what's a dish without a bit of spice? So she gleefully poured the whole bottle of chili powder in and carefully mixed it in her dish. Then she gave it a taste test.

' _It's still not spicy enough.'_

She needs more chili powder. Then she looked towards the boys.

' _I guess they won't mind if I take their chili powder since they already failed.'_

Then she took the boys' chili powder in their pantries. She was able to procure four bottles.

' _Perfect.'_

She mixed in the chili powder she just procured and gave her dish another taste test. It was still not spicy enough for her but close. Deciding it's finished, Leila presented it to the examiners.

Menchi gave the dish a pleased look. Finally, she got something to eat that looked more like a true dish. Without further ado, she took a bite.

"THIS IS HELLISHLY SPICY!"

"What? But it's not even spicy enough." Leila argued.

Taking a big gulp from the water Buhara thankfully gave her, Menchi gave Leila a death glare.

"ARE YOU FREAKING SERIOUS?!"

Leila Sparks = FAILED

* * *

ÉCLAIR

Éclair stood up at a top of a tree with a gadget out. Why is she on a tree, you ask? She was looking for a signal, an internet connection to be exact, but unfortunately she found none. She sighed in defeat. She wanted to download a recipe from the internet. She can cook but she needs a recipe to follow or there's a terribly high chance that she will mess her dish up. She's been looking for a signal for the last thirty minutes.

' _I guess I better go back. No point in continuing useless endeavors.'_

Smoke greeted her when she got back on her post.

' _Shit. I left the fire on.'_

Her pig was already black. Well, she might as well present it to the examiners.

Menchi gave Éclair an incredulous look. "What is this? Charcoal?"

"It's roasted pig…it just spent too much time playing with fire."

"And why is that?"

"There's no internet connection."

Éclair Rainsworth = UNDOUBTLY AND UNQUESTIONABLY FAILED

* * *

After a few more failed dishes later…

"Sorry guys, we had our fill. Exam's over. No one passed. Try again next year." Menchi announced.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I'd like to thank ereynon1 for reviewing. I really, really appreciate it. Ereynon1, it made me very happy to know that you liked the humor in my story.**

 **Then I'd like to give another thank you to ereynon1 and Hime2700Tsuna for favoriting and following my story. :)**


	11. Chapter 11 Grandpa Netero's Ri-chan

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 11

GRANPA NETERO'S RI-CHAN

* * *

An argument broke out after Menchi's announcement. Needless to say, a lot were dissatisfied of the result. Fortunately, the first phase examiner Satotz called the Hunter Association to remedy the situation. An airship arrived and the president of the Hunter Association Netero came. Netero talked to Menchi who admitted her mistake of making the exam harder due to her unchecked temper. Netero suggested a new exam which would this time have Menchi demonstrate it first. So now, the examinees found themselves aboard the airship going towards Mt. Split-in-half.

"Thank goodness, the president came. I really thought we'd be trying the exam again next year." Leorio sighed in relief.

Iris giggled. "You're right. I never thought cooking would be that challenging."

"I would've passed if I managed to download a recipe from the internet. But alas, there was no signal." Eclair complained.

"I still can't figure out why Menchi-san called my dish hellishly spicy when it wasn't even moderately spicy." Leila said.

"Leila..." Gon sweatdropped. If there was something really peculiar about his friend, it was her tolerance for spicy food. He can't count the times when Mito-san ran around the kitchen looking for water after eating something Leila cooked without supervision.

"Well, whatever. It's a lot better this way." Killua commented.

"I think you didn't even attempt something at the last exam, Killua." Kurapika said.

"What's the point? That woman will fail me anyway."

Then the aircraft announced its arrival at the destination. The examinees went down the airship and into the rocky surface of the mountain. Menchi led them to the cliff of the mountain for them to look. There were webs down below and hanging from the webs were grape like objects.

"Those are Spider Eagle eggs. You're task is to get one and bring it back here."

Without further ado, Menchi jumped off the cliff surprising the examinees. Menchi hung on a web for a while then let go grabbing an egg in her descent. Then surprisingly, a strong wind came and carried Menchi upwards.

"That looks like fun." Killua remarked.

Menchi landed back on the mountain and announced the start of the exam. Killua, Gon, Leila, Eclair, Iris, Kurapika and Leorio all jumped down without hesitation. Some examinees followed them while the others can't bring up the courage to jump off the cliff. Those who jumped hung on a web and waited for the updraft. Some others were too impatient so they fell down to the river way below.

When the time was right, the examinees who were smart enough to listen in to Gon's signal let go of the web. They grabbed an egg on their way down. Then as expected the updraft came and carried them upwards. They boiled the eggs and for the first time they tasted the legendary 'dream eggs'.

"This egg is really delicious. I've read about them before but this is tastier than I imagined." Iris said as she savored her prize.

"You're right. It really deserves the title of 'dream egg'." Kurapika agreed.

The others also nodded in agreement. It was indeed one of the most delicious foods they ever tasted. All seven of them sat side by side in a circle enjoying their snack.

"It seems you're really enjoying the food, Ri-chan." An old man's voice suddenly entered their peaceful snack.

"Jii-chan!" Iris yelled in surprise almost dropping her food. She wasn't the only one surprised though.

Netero just laughed at the girl's surprised expression. Then Netero surprised the others even more when he sat between Iris and Leorio.

"Nice to meet you, friends of Ri-chan." The old man greeted the others with a smile.

"Nice to meet you too." Gon responded cheerfully.

The others, meanwhile, were still dumbstruck that Iris knew the president of the Hunter Association.

"Are you Iris's grandpa?" Gon asked.

"Well, I consider Ri-chan as my granddaughter." Netero smiled at Gon's frank question.

"Consider?" Kurapika inquired. It was a rather peculiar word to use in the statement. He was currently sitting beside Iris.

"Jii-chan's really not my grandfather by blood. My mother and my aunt were once students of his so I got to know him through that connection." Iris clarified.

"I still haven't covered up the colorful hand marks and paintings you put in my office when you were five years old, you know." Netero informed. "I also still have the pink giraffe, blue dog, green mouse and yellow dolphin you drew at the side of my table."

"Why the heck are you still keeping those anyway?!" Iris blushed in embarrassment while the others laughed. The girl who is usually teasing is now being teased to embarrassment.

"Eh...looks like you were a very creative kid, Ri-chan." Killua teased.

"Shut up." Iris retaliated earning a smirk from Killua.

"But still...your sense of color of is quite wonderful, Ri-chan." Leila grinned joining in the fun.

"It's the first time I've ever met someone so wonderfully creative, Ri-chan." Eclair followed the teasing next.

Iris gave them a death glare.

"You were very cute, weren't you, Ri-chan?" Leorio teased. It was time for revenge.

Then Leorio's grin faltered when he saw Iris's look. She was smiling _sweetly_. It wasn't the normal smile though. It's the smile that promised something terrible in the near future.

"You know...I could probably tease you a hundred times worse than that don't you, Leorio?"

Leorio gulped and for the nth time the members of the conversation burst into laughter.

"So when are you gonna do it with the young man beside you, Ri-chan?" Netero's question broke in the laughter.

Iris gave a confused look at her honorary grandpa. "Do what, Jii-chan?"

But instead of answering her question, Netero turned to Kurapika. "She can be quite a handful sometimes, young man. But she can be very affectionate when she wants to be."

This time it was Kurapika's turn to look at the old man in confusion.

"What are you on about, Jii-chan?" Iris's eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"I never expected it to happen so early though." Netero still ignored the question.

"Jii-chan, what are you talking about? And this time answer the question please."

"Why...marriage, of course. If you haven't noticed, you are of marrying age, Ri-chan."

Iris's jaw dropped. Then after the initial surprise, both Iris and Kurapika blushed a hundred shades of red.

"I-I-we're not..." Kurapika stammered trying to clear up the misunderstanding. Though, in all honesty, he thought being married to Iris might not be bad.

"Jii-chan...I'm not..." Iris also attempted.

"You know, your mother met your father when she was eighteen and you were born a year later. They had their wedding after you were born." Netero ignored their attempts and continued talking. "I suggest you get married as soon as possible but you better not try and break your mother's record for your first child though, Ri-chan."

Now, that just took the cake. Kurapika was completely petrified and speechless while Iris turned redder if that was even possible. She was mortified.

"JII-CHAN!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **A message to Ren : Thank you very much for the review. It's great encouragement. I'll be doing my best to finish this fic. And I'm sorry for the late acknowledgment of your review. For some reason or some glitch in the system, the only review I was able to see by the time I updated the 10th chapter was ereynon1's review. I felt really guilty for not being able to acknowledge you since you were the very first one to review my story. I'm really sorry and thank you very much.**

 **A message to all you readers who thankfully took the time to read this fic :**

 **I'd like to emphasize that reviews are very welcome and greatly appreciated. It would really help me a lot if you could share your thoughts on my story. It's my first time writing a fic so constructive criticisms are also appreciated.**

 **Once again, thank you guys for reading my story. It really means a lot to me.**

 **And one last note: I've been really meaning to ask you guys what you think of my OCs so far. I'd really like to hear your opinions about them.**

 **Hope you guys continue reading this story and see you guys next chap. :)**


	12. Chapter 12 Conversations on Air

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 12

Conversations on Air

* * *

"I am Netero, the president of the Hunter Association." Netero formally introduced himself to the examinees assembled in front of him.

They were currently on an airship headed towards the site of the third task.

"I am the secretary, Beans." A very short man also introduced himself.

"I don't usually take part on the exam till the last phase but since there was a little bit of trouble this time, I'll be accompanying you to the site of the third phase." Netero said.

"The airship will approximately arrive at the destination about 9am. You're free to do as you wish for now." Beans announced dismissing the assembly.

Netero and Beans took their exit leaving the examinees on their own.

"Gon, Leila, let's explore the airship." Killua suggested. "Oh...and you can come too, dwarf."

Gon and Leila cheerfully agreed.

"I'll pa-" Before Eclair could voice out he refusal, Gon already took her hand in his again with the full intention of dragging her somewhere again. "Gon! Will you stop dragging me everywhere?!"

Gon just laughed in response. Then the four of them took off to explore the airship.

"How can they have so much energy?" Leorio yawned. "I guess I'll go and hit the sack."

"I'm tired but I'm a bit hungry. I'll go at the dining area and eat something first." Iris announced.

"I'll join you, Iris." Kurapika responded earning a nod from Iris.

"I'd like to join the two of you but I'm too tired. I'll see you both in the morning. Ja." With that, Leorio left to sleep.

"Let's go, Kurapika."

Iris and Kurapika headed to the dining area.

"Kurapika, I'm really sorry about Jii-chan."

"Don't worry about it. It was just a misunderstanding. And you already apologized earlier."

"Oh...I guess I did. Gomen."

"You're apologizing again."

"Oops."

Iris and Kurapika chuckled at the whole silliness. After the quite interesting conversation, Iris and Kurapika spent a half hour stammering the correction of the misunderstanding. When Netero finally understood, he just laughed though. Then Iris turned to Kurapika and profusely apologized. Kurapika accepted it and fortunately it was enough to clear the awkward air that was caused by the misunderstanding.

"Where did Jii-chan get the idea in the first place though?" Iris wondered aloud.

* * *

Gon, Killua, Leila and Eclair stared at the scenery outside as they ate their meal. They got the food from the kitchen after Leila politely asked for it. The more mischievous member of their group wanted to do something more exciting to get the food but Leila's disapproval won in the end.

"Ne Leila, what was that amnesia thing Iris was talking about at the first phase of the exam?" Killua asked also gaining Éclair's attention since she was also curious about it.

"Oh I guess, I haven't told you yet." Leila replied. "The memories I only have are from four years ago up to now and four years ago I washed up on shore on Whale Island."

"Whale Island?" Eclair inquired.

"Our home." Gon spoke this time.

Leila nodded. "Gon's aunt Mito-san found me unconscious on the shore. She took me in and I've been living with Gon ever since. They even gave me my name."

"Hmmm...so you've been with Gon ever since." For some reason, Killua didn't like the fact that Leila's been living with another boy her age on the same roof for so long. He shook it off though. It was silly. "So you can't remember anything about your past? Your real parents? Where you came from? Even your real name?"

"Not a clue." Leila responded.

"For someone who can only remember the last four years of her life, you're not quite depressed or gloomy." Eclair observed.

"That's because I got luckily picked up by a good family." Leila smiled fondly remembering Obaa-chan and Mito-san back at the island. Gon smiled back at Leila.

"So I guess, you entered the hunter exam to find your identity easier and Gon came with you?" Killua hypothesized.

Leila shook her head. "Nope. It was Gon who wanted to enter the hunter exam. I'm the one who tagged along."

"My dad was a hunter and I wanted to know what the job was like." Gon explained.

"What kind of hunter was your father?" Killua asked.

"I don't know. I never met him."

"So you wanted to be a hunter like your father but you don't even know what your father's like?" Eclair looked at Gon incredulously.

"I was curious about what made being hunter so great that he chose to do it instead of being with me."

Eclair was amazed. Gon's father left him and usually that action would be more likely to be resented. But Eclair found no resentment in Gon's eyes.

Éclair smiled. "You're really a strange one, Gon."

Gon simply smiled back. "So why do you want to be hunter, Eclair?"

"To play a game."

"A game? You wanted to be a hunter to play a game?" Leila asked in surprise.

"It was a legendary game for hunters. It wasn't merely just a game. I've wanted to try it out ever since I've heard of it. Apparently, you need some skill to enter the game and you can likely get it if you become a hunter. Or at least that's what Nii-san told me." Eclair answered.

"Nii-san? You had siblings?" Killua inquired.

"I was an only child till I ran away from home." Eclair replied.

"Eh? Why did you run away, Eclair?" Gon asked.

"I guess I better start from the beginning." Eclair sighed. "I was born rich."

"Nice opening statement, dwarf." Killua snickered.

"Shut up and listen, grandpa." Eclair retorted. "Anyway, I lost my parents early and my grandmother raised me instead. She was a bit of a demon to me though."

Leila's eyebrows knitted. She really can't imagine a demonic grandma since the Obaa-chan she knew was a really sweet old woman.

"My grandmother was all into this upper-class etiquette thing and so she was tight and strict about my upbringing." Eclair continued. "I couldn't do anything I wanted to do and there wasn't a day when I didn't wish that I was born in a different family, into a different life. I saw a chance for escape three years ago and I took it. I rode a train and went as far as I could. I almost got caught after a few nights though. Money does make things fast and my grandmother had lots of it."

"So what happened after that?" Leila prodded Eclair on.

"That night, some guys my grandmother hired found me. Of course, I did my best to escape until one of them shot my leg. I somehow managed to hide myself on a dark alley but I was too weak and I was losing more blood by the minute. That's when my current Nii-san and the others found me. They just finished a heist and was about to return home. Mira-nee who was with also with my Nii-san at that time asked me if I wanted to live. I said yes and they helped me."

"Heist? They were thieves?" Killua asked curiously.

"Yep. Teenage thieves to be exact. Nii-san who was the oldest was still seventeen at that time and the youngest in the heist team was Akira who was ten years old. They brought me at their hideout and treated me. I found out that there were more of them. They were fifteen of them living there together. There were teens older than me and some children younger than me. I discovered that they are escapees from some orphanage and they've been living with each other ever since. With the living costs quite high, they turned into burglary. Since I had no place to return to, I asked to join them. They agreed and it wasn't long till I also joined them in their stealing escapades. They became my family and my siblings. One day, we managed to steal something really valuable and it was enough to fund a business. Natsu-nii seemed to have a really good affinity with business so it really boomed just after a year and a half and our lives been a lot better since. We just occasionally steal nowadays."

"You were also found by really kind people, ne Elcair?" Leila smiled.

"Why do you think they were kind?" Eclair asked.

"Because it seemed that they really took good care of you and I think they never restricted you to do anything you want." Leila answered sincerely.

Eclair's eyes widened then softened after a while averting her eyes from Leila's smile. "They are a good family to me, I guess." She wasn't really into this mushy stuff.

"So Killua, what's your story?" Eclair turned to Killua.

"I hate to lump myself with the dwarf but I guess, I'm also a runaway." Killua answered back.

"Why?" This time it was Gon who asked.

"I just don't want to have my whole life planned out for me so I left."

"Hmmm...What do your parents do, Killua? Leila inquired.

" They're assassins."

"The both of them?" Gon interjected. All three of them looked at Killua seriously.

Killua laughed. "The three of you actually took that seriously."

"But you weren't kidding, right?"

"Yeah. And I thought not letting others know what I'm thinking of is my charm point."

"Sorry but there's nothing charming about you, grandpa." Eclair scoffed.

"Shut up and go look in a mirror somewhere before you start assuming things, dwarf." Killua retorted.

"Stop! I still want to hear the rest of the story so put your bickering on hold." Leila interrupted.

"So anyway, my parents had high expectations for me but I told them I wanted to live my life the way I want. They went berserk. My mother cried that it was in my future to be a great assassin. I was getting tired of it so I stabbed my mother on the face and my brother on the side and left." Killua continued. "Once I pass the hunter exam, I'm gonna catch my whole family. I bet they're worth a lot. I'll be living my life rich with their bounties." Killua had this really happy expression on his face.

Gon and Leila laughed weakly in response while Eclair was just nonchalant about it. Looks like Killua's another weird one.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

 **So what do you guys think? This chapter deals more about the characters' backgrounds especially about Eclair's life after she ran away. It's just a glimpse though but I'll reveal more about it in the future chapters. And I know this chapter doesn't have that much romance in it but I'll try and make it up in the next chapter. So you can look forward for a bit of romance in the next chap. :)**

 **Once again, I'll be happy to know your thoughts about it or about the story in general so don't hesitate and review your opinions.**

 **Reply to ereynon1 : Thanks for reviewing again. It made my day. I'm glad you liked my OCs. I kinda doubted myself if I actually put the right personalities on the right OCs but you're review really assured me so thank you very much. Now I'm really relieved that my choice wasn't wrong. Hope you continue to read the story. Feel free to review again if you like. Your support means a lot.**

 **Reply to Ahsilaa : Thank you for reviewing and thank you for the advice. I'll keep them in mind. They're really good advice. I'll try to pair them off more and I'll try to focus on the girls a bit more in the future chapters. However, there may be scenes or chapters that may need the participation of more than 4 characters in a conversation but I'll try to keep it to a minimum as much as possible. Your review will really help so if there's something you'd like to express your opinion on, don't hesitate to review. And thank you for the follow.**

 **Lastly, I'd like to thank OreozFox and NeKo19-94 for following my story and another thank you to NeKo19-94 for favoriting it.**


	13. Chapter 13 A Game and A Night

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 13

A Game and A Night

* * *

After the quite long conversation the four of them just had, the girls got thirsty and so did the boys. The girls wanted to stretch their legs for a while so they volunteered to get some drinks. Gon and Killua continued talking as the girls left.

Netero was walking around when he spotted the two boys. He remembered they were among Ri-chan's friends. The two of them including the other two girls were the youngest examinees who entered the hunter exam for some couple of years now. Netero decided to play a trick on them to see how they would react. He let out some bloodlust from where he's at.

The boys immediately looked in alarm.

 _'They seem to have sharp senses.'_ Netero thought as he approached them from the other side.

"Did you see anyone there, Netero-san?" Gon asked as he pointed on the spot where Netero released his bloodlust.

"You move fast for an old man." Killua remarked.

Looks like the white-haired boy figured out his trick.

"So what are your first impressions of the hunter exam?" Netero asked deciding to change the topic.

"It was fun and more interesting than I thought. There weren't any written exams I was dreading." Gon cheerfully replied.

"It was disappointing. It was a lot easier than I thought." Killua answered. "Why are you here though? You don't have anything else to do till the final phase, right?"

"I was looking for some good company."

"Don't you have your granddaughter for that?"

"Well, I actually looked for her at first but unfortunately I found her already asleep." Then Netero thought of something. "Why don't we play something to kill time? If you win, I'll reward you with hunter licenses."

* * *

"Where the heck did those two go?" Eclair wondered in irritation.

Éclair and Leila looked around for Gon and Killua. The girls both carried drinks in both hands.

"If they were going to disappear, couldn't they have left some note or something?" Éclair complained.

"Well, let's just look for them. They can't be that far." Leila said. "Probably…"

The two girls walked around the airship looking for the boys. As they turned a corner, they heard a familiar voice.

"Sugoi!"

"Wasn't that Gon?" Éclair asked.

Leila nodded in confirmation. It certainly sounded like Gon. So the girls went to the room and opened its double doors in time to see Killua perform rhythm echo. Leila was amazed and Éclair was impressed though she'd rather die than admit it. Killua, meanwhile, is doing his best to get the ball from the old man who seemed to be Netero.

"What's going on, Gon?" Éclair inquired as she handed Gon the drink he asked.

"Arigatou, Éclair." Gon thanked the girl. "We're playing a game with Netero-san. We have to steal the ball from him."

"Hmm…I see. What's the prize?"

"He said he's going to give us hunter licenses when we win."

"That old man is quite confident but seeing that bratty grandpa try so hard, that confidence may not be that baseless."

Killua continued to try and get the ball from Netero but so far he was unsuccessful. He was getting irritated.

"Killua, tag!" Gon yelled raising his hands up.

Killua tagged him and Gon took his place while Killua went back towards Leila who was watching the whole thing. Without really thinking about it, Killua took one of the drinks she was holding. He attached his lips on the straw and sipped the liquid on the cup. The flavor hit his taste buds and his eyes widened. It was strawberry. Didn't he ask for orange juice? Why is it also half-empty?

"Killua, that's my juice." Leila said.

Realization dawned on Killua as he stared at the straw. _'Is this what they call an indirect kiss?'_ A slight blush that he tried so hard to stop appeared on his cheeks.

"Why didn't you say that in the first place?!" Killua complained.

"How could I? You just grabbed my juice all of a sudden. How was I supposed to tell you?" Leila retaliated.

"Well, whatever..." He grabbed the other juice from Leila's hand and gave her the strawberry juice. "What took the two of you so long anyway?"

"Killua, answer the question sincerely please."

"What?"

"Just who left the meeting place before we came back?"

"..." Killua sweatdropped. That was clearly Gon and him.

"Mattaku. It was really troublesome looking for the two of you, you know." Leila took a sip from her drink.

Killua gulped. _'Does this girl actually realize what she's doing?'_

Noticing that Killua was staring at her, Leila looked up to him. "What?"

"Nothing" Killua immediately averted his eyes, covering up his blush.

Then suddenly they heard a cry of pain from Gon and a yell from Eclair.

"Gon, mind the ceiling will you, baka! We know you could jump high but control your strength. That was really so close. That old man even dropped his guard!"

The other three people in the room sweatdropped.

* * *

Kurapika woke up in the semi-dark room feeling something draped across his chest. Looking down, he realized it was the arm of the girl beside him. The girl's whole body lied facing his direction. Iris peacefully slept in the middle of him and Leorio. The arrangement wasn't supposed to be really like that though. Kurapika looked up the ceiling as he recalled what happened.

After dinner, Kurapika and Iris headed to the room the Hunter Committee provided for them to rest up. The room, as they both found out, was quite bare except for some blankets anyone was free to take placed in one corner of the room. Most of the examinees in the room just lied at some corner and slept using their bags or hands as some kind of pillow while others were awake doing something. They both found Leorio already sleeping in the corner.

As Kurapika motioned to lie next to Leorio, he saw some guys looking at Iris. They saw lust in their eyes. Thinking that they might do something while she slept, he asked the girl if she could sleep next to Leorio instead and at the same time he asked if he could sleep next to her. It was better if Iris lied next to Leorio than some unknown guy with perverted intentions. At least, they actually knew Leorio and they knew he was guy good enough not to do something inappropriate to a friend. Iris nodded and so it resulted to the current situation.

A groan suddenly came from Iris.

' _Is she dreaming about something?'_ Kurapika thought as he continued to stare at the sleeping girl.

"Kurapika..." Iris softly muttered.

' _She's dreaming about me?!'_ Kurapika blushed.

"Kurapika...there are monkeys...in the moon..."

' _Monkeys? Moon? Just what on earth is Iris dreaming about?'_

"Hehehe..." A silly smile formed on Iris's sleeping face. "Leorio's a monkey..."

Kurapika chuckled. He was quite amused. The girl's teasing someone even in her dreams.

Then unexpectedly Iris turned and lied on her back. The arm that was once draped across Kurapika's chest shot up and fell on Leorio's face. Leorio grunted in pain but he did not wake up. Kurapika went full alert as he saw Iris's hand move down and landed on Leorio's lips.

Kurapika somehow did not like what he saw. Without hesitation, he leaned forward and took Iris hand on his own pulling it out of Leorio's face. He lied back to his previous position but when he tried to tug back his hand he found Iris's hand tightly holding his own. The girl seemed to have no intention of letting it go. Instead of forcing his hand out of Iris's grip, he just fondly looked at her. He certainly does not mind her touch.

Out of the blue, the door opened revealing a very sleepy Eclair.

"Oh...you're still awake." Eclair said as she saw Kurapika.

"I'm about to go back to sleep now." Kurapika replied thanking the darkness of the room that hid his hand. "Where's Gon and the others?" He asked.

"Gon and grandpa are playing with the old man Netero and Leila's having fun watching them. They might not sleep till later."

"I see."

Eclair yawned. "I'm gonna hit the sack. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

* * *

Leila hurried her steps towards the direction Killua went. The game with Netero went for a while and the boys managed to do some good attempts but it was still no use. In the end, Killua quit and left the room while Gon continued. Leila immediately told Gon she was leaving and went after Killua who already walked a bit of a distance. He seemed to be in a really bad mood and Leila felt something bad might just happen.

After she turned a corner, she finally found the person she's looking for but the situation she found him was not good. Two other examinees were threatening him. Then all of a sudden Leila felt bloodlust.

"Killua."

Killua stopped. It was Leila's voice. Leila called out to him and he just stopped.

"Ne Killua, let's go and have some hot chocolate." Leila approached Killua and tugged at his arm nonchalantly passing by the other guys.

The guys looked at the girl angrily. They were ignored and they were annoyed. The two unnamed examinees were about to grab the girl and teach her a lesson when they felt a deathly aura from the silver haired boy. The older guys immediately felt fear and backed off.

Killua glared at the two guys. They got lucky because Leila stopped him but if they touch even a single hair on Leila, they are definitely going to die.

"Let's go, Killua." Leila said.

Killua felt another tug on his arm and this time he let Leila drag him towards the dining area.

After ordering some hot chocolate, they sat across each other with a table between them. They took sips from their hot chocolate for a while, taking comfort in the silence.

"You know...I was about to kill those guys." Killua broke the silence.

"I know."

"Why did you stop me?" Killua gazed at Leila straight in the eyes.

"I thought that you might get into some kind of trouble if you killed those two. I thought you might get disqualified and so I called out to you."

"That's it? That's why you stopped me? How about those guys? Didn't you stop me because you wanted those guys to live?"

"Not really...Frankly, they didn't even enter my mind...I guess...I guess I should have thought about their lives...but..." Leila gripped her drink harder.

"But what?"

Leila turned her gaze down at her cup for a while then turned them back to Killua. "But as strange as it sounds...all I could think of...all I _did_ think of at that moment was you."

Killua's eyes widened. Leila was sincere. He could see it in her eyes that she was telling the truth. His heart skipped a beat. "You're really strange sometimes, Leila."

"Hey, where the heck did that come from?" Leila pouted.

Killua suddenly stood up. "You're done with your chocolate, aren't you?"

"I guess."

Without hesitation, Killua grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the resting area.

"I'm tired already. Let's go to sleep." Killua said.

Leila looked at Killua's back in confusion. ' _What's gotten into him?'_

Unknown to Leila, Killua couldn't stop himself from smiling. Despite his very bad mood earlier, he's really, really happy at the moment.

* * *

Sunlight poured through the window as Eclair woke up. She looked up at the clock hanging on the wall.

' _It's still 8am. We are supposed to arrive at the site at nine_.'

Eclair stretched and looked around. She found Leorio, Iris and Kurapika still sleeping at her left and then she looked to her right. She was a bit surprised at the sight. Leila had her head on Killua's chest using it as some kind of pillow and Killua had an arm protectively around the girl. Eclair grinned evilly. How nice.

Éclair stood up and went beside Killua then she kicked his leg hard.

"Ite! Who the hell-" Killua exclaimed as he woke up quite unpleasantly.

"A not so good morning to you too, grandpa." Éclair interrupted. "And you better shut your trap or you'll wake everyone in the room."

"You damn dwarf! Just what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Killua glared at the girl as he lowered the volume of his voice.

"Wasn't it obvious enough? I just violently woke you up." Éclair deadpanned.

"Then give one good reason why, of all the damn things you could do, did you just do that?!"

"To stop any further perverted actions from you to the innocent being beside you."

"Innocent being?" Killua turned to his side. He saw Leila. Then he froze, then he burned and then he erupted. Well, not really erupted. It was more like he sat up in surprise and just let Leila's head fall painfully to the floor.

"Ouch! What happened?" Leila sat up as she nursed her damaged head. She was unexpectedly woken up by a sudden pain on her head. "Éclair? Killua?"

"Well, this grandpa here." Éclair pointed to Killua. "Took advantage of you by sleeping beside you and he mercilessly dropped your head to the floor."

"I did not!" Killua denied through his blush.

Leila blinked then she realized what happened. "So it was you, Killua? I thought it was some kind of pillow."

Killua blushed and Éclair looked at the girl in disbelief.

"That's it? That's all you really have to say?" Éclair asked. Should a normal girl be screaming by now or at least surprised?

"What do you mean?" Leila looked at Éclair in confusion. "Is it really that unusual to sleep beside a boy? But I've slept beside Gon a lot of times."

Killua and Éclair jaws dropped.

"You…with Gon…" Killua trailed off. He wasn't exactly thrilled by the news.

Éclair also felt some kind of displeasure sink into her stomach but she just shook it off. Why should she be upset? However, before she could ponder about it more, her stomach growled.

"I'm hungry so I'll leave you two with your chaotic morning." Éclair said as she turned to leave.

"It was mostly caused by you, you damn dwarf!" That was obviously Killua.

"You're welcome, grandpa."

With that Éclair, truly left the room.

* * *

Eclair went to the dining area and ordered food. She realized she never saw Gon in the resting area.

' _Where could that idiot be? Don't tell me he's still...'_

"Here's your food little girl."The staff's voice broke her out of her thoughts.

Eclair stared at the food in front of her.

"I'd like to order an additional meal please and make it a take out."

After eating her meal, Eclair walked towards the room where the game last night was held. She immediately spotted Gon on the floor sleeping with his jacket draped across his torso. Then she sat near Gon giving her a clear view of the boy.

' _He looks childish when he's awake and he even looks a lot more childish when he's asleep.'_ Eclair thought as she unknowingly let herself look at Gon fondly.

Eclair might not admit it out loud but she was truly happy that she was able to meet and befriend Gon. She wasn't really the friendly type of person so she never really had someone whom she could call a friend. The others back at home were more like her siblings than friends. Meeting Gon made the hunter exam quite fun. It even allowed her to meet the others who she could admit to herself was good company. Heck, she never even played her PSP for a while. It was a rarity especially for her since she was quite obsessed with games. She realized that she had so much fun interacting with the others that she forgot her games.

Then suddenly, Eclair noticed Gon's nose twitch breaking her out of her thoughts. Gon woke up seconds later sniffing the meal she brought.

"I brought that meal for you to eat not sniff, you know." Eclair said a bit amused.

"Hontou?! Arigatou, Eclair." Gon happily dug in at his meal.

"How was the game? Did you win?"

"No, but I got Netero-san use his right hand." Gon cheerfully told Eclair.

"You didn't win but I guess you deserve congratulations." Eclair smirked.

"Arigatou." Gon smiled back.

Then as Gon ate his meal, she noticed some sauce sticking on his cheek.

"Gon, I know you're childish already but don't top it off by being messy eater."

"Eh?"

"You have sauce on your cheek." Éclair took her handkerchief from her pocket and held it to him.

"Can you wipe it off for me, Éclair? Leila does it most of the time."

Éclair's eyebrow twitched. It was there again. That pinch of displeasure. Shaking it off, Éclair moved closer and roughly wiped off the sauce from Gon's cheek.

"Arigatou, Éclair."

"Whatever." Éclair averted her eyes.

All of a sudden, an announcement rung through the whole airship.

"We are now about to reach our destination."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Reply to Ren : Thank you for reviewing again! I'm glad to know that you continued reading my fic and I hope you'll continue reading the future chapters too. :)**

 **Reply to Ahsilaa : Thank you very much for the advice! Once again, I'll keep them in mind and I'll be working more on my grammar. But I'm sorry about the ball game. I actually tried to write about the ball game with the four of them but I wasn't really satisfied about it so I decided to put a new scenario. I hope this chapter didn't disappoint you too much though. And about Kurapika and Iris, I'll be featuring them often enough but I may feature the 12 year olds and their pairing more often on this arc. I'll see what I can do as the story goes. I had my initial plans but they are not exactly concrete. Again, thank you for the review, the advice and the read. Hope you continue reading this fic. :)**

 **I may post the next chapter next week. See you then!**


	14. Chapter 14 Trick Tower (Start Line)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 14

Trick Tower (Start Line)

* * *

The airship dropped the examinees off at the top of a very high tower. They were then told to reach the bottom of the tower within three days or in other words within seventy-two hours. The airship then left and continued its flight leaving the examinees atop the tower. A professional rock climber immediately took the chance to climb down but before he could go far, some carnivorous flying monsters came and ate him. Seeing this, the others thought that there must be another way down.

"Minna! I found some secret passages." Gon announced.

"Where is it?" Killua asked.

The other five approached the two. Leila and Iris stood a little bit farther from the group. They both didn't notice that they were standing on a really wide stone slab until Eclair approached the two of them. It just happened in a split second. The boys' eyes widened as they saw the stone slab flip making the girls fall together down below. As soon as it opened up, it closed.

The boys immediately ran to the spot. They tried to open up the entrance but it was no use.

"Damn. It won't budge." Leorio cursed.

"I guess the entrances can only be used once." Kurapika commented.

"Do you think the three of them are alright?" Gon asked.

"They should be." Killua replied as his gaze lingered at the closed entrance.

* * *

The girls composed themselves after their sudden fall. They realized they were on a small room with only a table on the middle of the room. The table had devices that looked like watches.

"Welcome." A man's voice came from some hidden speaker in the room. "I never thought that a bunch of girls would land on this test."

"Being a sexist is not good, you know." Leila glared at the camera. So what if the three of them were girls?

"Sorry about that. It wasn't really my intention to offend you." The man replied. "But anyway, you must have realized by now that I'm your examiner. Now, take and put those watches on."

The girls obeyed and put on the watches. It turned on and showed the time they seem to have left for the third phase of the exam like a countdown. Then they noticed one small button just below the LED screen.

"This test requires the three of you to work together as a team. If one of you fails, you all fail. If one of you dies, the rest will also fail. In other words, the only way you could pass is to make sure all three of you could pass. Your fate rests on your teammate's shoulders now. 'All for one, one for all' as they usually say it." The examiner explained. "That button on your watches is a 'help' button. If you press it, you may request for any help except help that gets you out of this tower. You each get one chance to use it."

"That's quite generous of you." Iris remarked.

"Oh, it's not generosity. That 'help' comes with a price: twenty hours in exchange for every 'help' that you press. So better use it wisely."

"Nah, we probably won't need it." Eclair cockily smirked.

"I see. Then there's no problem, is there?" The examiner responded.

With the explanations finished, a door opened. The girls then proceeded to enter it. They walked on a long hallway for a while then they stopped at a dead end. They stood in front of a wall with three slide puzzles attached to it. They looked up and saw some instructions above that said:

[Each one of you must solve a puzzle. Coaching each other is forbidden. No time limit.]

"Isn't this obstacle a bit easy? I mean, they actually put no time limit." Leila asked.

"On the contrary, the 'no time limit' is actually a ruse they put in the obstacle." Iris said.

"Yeah, we actually have a real time limit here." Eclair swung her wrist showing the others her watch to emphasize the point.

"Oh, that's right. If we take too long here, we're going to waste time we might need for the other obstacles." Leila realized.

"Yep. The examiner is a bit mean, don't you think?" Iris smirked directly at the camera in the room.

* * *

The examiner felt goose bumps on the back of his neck. The smirk the teenage girl made seemed eerily familiar. Then a face came across his thoughts.

' _Don't tell me...this girl is actually that guy's daughter...'_ The examiner thought.

* * *

"Well we better start solving this. The two of you any good with puzzles?" Éclair asked.

"I love puzzles." Iris grinned.

"Being friends with a puzzle maniac for two years does have its perks." Leila smiled.

"And I play puzzle games quite often." Éclair smirked.

With a few swipes, the girls managed to solve the puzzle. It didn't even take them a minute.

The girls walked through another long hallway then they spotted a door at its end. The three of them entered it without hesitation. They noticed the instruction on the wall beside the door.

[All three of you must leave the room through the door on the other side. No time limit.]

The instruction was simple enough but the problem lies with crossing the room to the door on the other side. The room was a whole obstacle course. The obstacles were: (list starts on the obstacle nearest to the girls)

Four huge scythes swung from the ceiling like pendulums.

Fire shot from the wall like geysers.

Then there was a climbing wall that spouted magma from the top randomly.

Sliding down on the other side, there was pool full of bloodsucking leeches with small stepping platforms that could only be used once.

Then lastly, metal spikes shot from the floor below.

Iris shivered, not out of fear, but because somehow the obstacle course eerily reminded her of something really familiar. It reminded her of the obstacle course her father made back at home. This obstacle course was just a lot deadlier.

' _If dad had something to do with this obstacle course, I'm really going to greet him with a flying kick the next time I see him.'_ Iris thought.

Leila also felt nostalgic as she observed the obstacle course. Looking at Iris, she managed to point out the reason why it felt familiar. She certainly had good memories playing with Iris and Gon at the obstacle course Iris's father made back at Whale Island.

Eclair, meanwhile, felt ecstatic. It was a full blown obstacle course in front of her like the obstacle courses she plays in her games. When you've been playing virtual for so long, you get to want to play it in real life.

"So who wants to go first?" Eclair asked.

Iris sighed. "I guess I'll go first."

Iris went through the whole course fast and flawlessly. Somehow, her body was used to the motions.

Eclair whistled. "She's not bad."

"That's Iris for you." Leila responded.

"Who's next?"

"Do we really have to do this one by one?"

"I guess not."

Eclair and Leila went through the course together. Their attempt wasn't as flawless as Iris though. Leila was delayed a little at the fire geysers since she somehow couldn't get the timing right at first. Eclair almost fell at the pool as she slid down on the back of the climbing wall. Then they both almost joined the leeches down at the pool as they both almost slipped at the small stepping platforms.

Iris snickered. Leila and Eclair gave the older girl a death glare and simultaneously said:

"Shut up."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Reply to IamAmazing326:** **Thank you very much for the review! It's great encouragement. And thank you for favoriting and following this story!**

 **I'd also like to thank Youko Okami-chan and PrincessSylveon for following and favoriting this story. :)**

 **Once again, reviews are greatly appreciated so don't hesitate to express your thoughts.**


	15. Chapter 15 Criminal Hunting

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 15

Criminal Hunting

* * *

The girls' conquest of the third phase continued. The three girls walked around the trick tower for a while but this time, they went through some forks on the road. They didn't argue which forks to take though. It seemed that they were in sync when it comes to those things. Then they arrived at another door. It seemed to be an elevator. They went in and pulled the lever they found. It took them down a few floors and then it stopped. They came in face to face with a huge maze extending throughout the whole room.

"Welcome. I never thought the three of you would actually get here." It was the examiner again speaking through the speakers. "Now, each of you, take the devices and handcuffs on the table."

The girls obeyed. The device he was talking about was like a cell phone. It showed the whole map of the floor including the maze. Then they saw three red dots inside the maze and three green dots outside. The red dots were far apart while the green dots were close together.

"I let loose three criminals in this place. You three are to capture the criminals with those handcuffs dead or alive." The examiner said.

"Dead or alive?" Leila questioned.

"They are criminals, little girl. They are murderers, to be exact. They won't just flee from you but they will also try to kill you. Their sentence will lessen in proportion of the time they delay the three of you here. If they capture one of you, the same reward will be also given to them."

"I see."

"The red dots on your device are the criminals while the green dots represent the three of you. That's all you need to know. Ah, I almost forgot. There's a safe room in the middle of the maze where the criminals aren't allowed to touch you. I thought I'd just let you know. Good luck."

Eclair took her dagger from her bag and Leila finally took out her weapon which had been resting in her bag the whole time. It was a short sword usually called a wakizashi. It was just a little bit longer than Eclair's dagger. The weapon was given to her by Iris's aunt Lyka. Iris's aunt was the one who taught Leila how to handle weapons. It's a bit peculiar but Leila liked weapons a lot. When she saw the weapons Lyka collected, she was thoroughly impressed. It seemed that Lyka appreciated her impression on them since she started teaching her how to handle them the next day.

Then the door of the maze opened.

"So what's the plan? Should we split up or go for the criminal together one by one?" Leila asked.

"I think it's better if we do it together instead of splitting up." Iris answered. "We don't know what those criminals are capable of and the maze is large enough to split the three of us so far apart that we won't be able to help each other if one of us got in trouble."

Eclair nodded, agreeing with the plan. "Let's go start with the nearest one."

They followed the map towards the nearest red dot. The red dot didn't move as they neared it. It was either the criminal didn't have the same devices they have or it's waiting to entrap the three of them. The girls found out that it was the latter.

"Damn it." Iris cursed as blood dripped from the shallow wound on her arm.

The three of them spotted the first criminal standing at an enclosed space with a wall on his back and walls at his sides. The man was thin and didn't seem like a combatant so it made them confident about approaching him. When they did, however, Iris caught sight of the almost invisible wires but Leila and Eclair didn't. Fortunately, Iris was fast enough to grab the two other girls' collars before they came in contact with the wires but it was enough to get Iris let her guard down. The criminal threw a knife that went pass and almost hit Iris squarely on the shoulder if she hadn't dodged in time. They were currently hiding behind another wall in the maze.

"Thanks for saving us from the wires, Iris." Leila thanked the girl while Eclair just nodded passing the message that she's also grateful to her too.

"No problem. So any suggestions to take the guy down?"

"I've got it covered." Eclair smirked as she took out a set of throwing knives from her bag. "That guy's an idiot enough to trap himself in an enclosed space where he won't be able to dodge well enough and I'm quite confident with my aim. But I'll need some cover from the knives he'll be throwing my way."

"Leave that to Leila and me. We can block a few knives." Iris said as she took out her weapon from her thigh and extended it.

"What about the wires? That guy can throw his knives confidently because he knows exactly where the wires are placed." Leila asked.

"Don't worry. These babies are sharp enough to cut through those stupid wires."

"Alright" Leila nodded.

"Are you going to be alright blocking those knives with your short sword?" Eclair inquired.

"Oh. Don't worry about Leila. She might just surprise you." Iris winked.

So then the three of them executed their plan. Iris and Leila stood in front of Eclair and soon a barrage of knives were thrown towards them. Iris blocked the knives with her long weapon which was clearly a great advantage for her but Eclair's eyes widened at Leila. Leila was able to block every knife that came at her expertly with her short ranged sword.

The skills that allowed Leila to counter every knife were both her strong dynamic vision and fast reflexes. Her strong dynamic vision allowed her to see moving objects, despite how fast, clearly. Projectiles thrown at her are especially clear. Her reflexes are both in-born natural talent she seemed to have and it was also developed with her daily life playing with Gon in the forest and training with Iris's aunt.

Eclair averted her eyes from Leila and focused on her own task. She took out her throwing knives and held four knives at each hand. Then with an accurate aim she threw it towards the criminal. As expected, the knives cut through the wires which shocked the guy. Four knives hit the criminal equally on his left and right shoulder. Then other four land on his left and right leg definitely immobilizing him.

Leila cut the rest of the wires with her short sword and the three of them approached the guy. They handcuffed him and Leila yelled for the examiner to treat the guy since he's already defeated. The examiner gave his ok and the three of them proceeded to the second criminal.

* * *

Unlike the first one, the second criminal kept moving around. This time, the man was clearly a combatant and they discovered that the criminals were also provided with the same tracking device. They chased the guy around the maze for a while till they successfully ambushed him at a corner. Leila slashed him across the chest with her sword and that effectively ended the battle.

* * *

"That bitch is more trouble than she's worth!" Eclair cursed, thoroughly pissed.

They were now on to their last criminal. The third criminal was a woman somewhere in her late twenties. She seemed to be harmless. Keyword: seemed. The woman carried a large bag that contained different chemicals she seemed to have personally mixed herself. She kept throwing the chemicals inside some bottles and test tubes at the girls and at the same she kept running around corners to confuse them.

They've been running around for a while now and during the run, the criminal actually introduced herself. The woman told them her name was Mitch. Well, Eclair had been exchanging the M with the letter B in her mind for a while now. One of the chemicals the woman threw actually ruined the tracking device Eclair was holding. The chemical was like acid and it almost injured Eclair's hand. It was enough to get the girl completely pissed.

Iris and Leila were also no better. Leila was almost blinded from the shards of the bottle the woman threw. She managed to shield her eyes with her arms but now her arm was injured. Iris, meanwhile, was all in all pissed because of the running and corners. She was getting irritated about the cycle repeating over and over again. They get close, Mitch throws her chemicals, they step back and the woman runs away again.

Then suddenly, Mitch showed herself in front of them. The girls immediately became alarmed and stepped back but the woman was faster. She threw another chemical at them and it exploded at their feet creating a smoke screen. The girls were totally unprepared for the smoke. The woman suddenly charged at Eclair through the smoke and pinned her down the floor. Before Eclair could do anything about it, the woman injected some kind of liquid into her. Leila immediately leaped into action and attacked the woman pinning her friend down. The woman dodged and backed off giving Iris the chance to land an attack. She hit the woman on stomach with her pole.

"Iris! Eclair is poisoned!" Iris heard Leila yell from the back.

"What?!" Iris looked back and then she spotted a door with bold letters attached to it. It was the safe room the examiner talked about. "Leila, let's retreat! Bring Eclair to the safe room, hurry!"

Leila obeyed and Iris immediately followed while Mitch once again ran away from them. As they entered inside, Leila gently laid Eclair on the floor. Eclair was unconscious and her lips were turning purple. Iris saw this and without hesitation, she pushed the 'help' button on her watch.

"Give us antidote for Eclair." Iris said.

As soon as Iris requested it, a hidden drawer opened on the wall. Leila stood up and ran towards it taking its contents. It was the antidote. Leila hurriedly injected the antidote on Eclair. She felt relief when Eclair seemed to have gotten a little better.

Iris, meanwhile, suddenly felt dizzy. Then she saw something injected on her thigh. She took it out and held the item in front of her. It was an empty syringe.

' _Damn. That woman got me too.'_

Then Iris's world turned black.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Reply to Amezardh: Thank you for the review! It made me happy that you loved Iris and Leila. I really intend to continue and finish this story someday so expect more chapters coming up! And thank you for the favorite and the follow.**

 **Reply to Guest: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad to have another reader. Hope you continue reading the future chapters and don't hesitate to review again if you want. :)**

 **Reply to Vegadawn: I'm very grateful for your review! It made my day. I'm glad you liked the girls and their personalities. It also made me very happy to know that you liked the pairings too! But if you don't mind me asking, does the summary really don't fit the story? I'd like to change the summary if it really doesn't match the story so I'd be really, really grateful if you could tell me what made the summary so 'unmatched' with the story. It's my first time writing a fic so I really want to make this story a good one and that includes the summary too. Anyway, I'm glad to have you on board and may you continue to read and enjoy this story. Thank you for the favorite and the follow. Don't hesitate to review and express your opinions. I'd be happy to know them.**

 **Then I'd like to send my grateful appreciation to Ashiya-Hana,** **Houda708,** **KKrasher,** **SoraBlankShiro and** **miyazono kaori for favoriting and following this story. Thank you very much!**

 **Once again, reviews are greatly appreciated and I'd be happy to know your thoughts about the story. Next chapter will be about Iris's past so look forward to it! I'll be posting it next week as usual. :)**


	16. Chapter 16 Drugged to the Past

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 16

Drugged to the Past

* * *

The first thing Eclair saw when she woke up was Leila's relieved face. She sat up and rubbed her eyes.

"Thank goodness you're finally awake." Leila said in relief.

"What happened?" Éclair asked. She was still a bit disoriented but she's recovering quite nicely.

"You were poisoned but thankfully we managed to give you the antidote fast enough."

"Antidote?"

"Iris pushed her 'help' button to save you."

"I guess we will all fail if I died." Eclair looked away and scoffed.

Leila gave Eclair a hard chop on her head.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Eclair glared at Leila but she stopped when she saw the expression on her face.

"The exam's got nothing to do with the reason we saved you. If you think that we're people who just let our friends die, then you are a colossal idiot."

Eclair felt a lump in her throat and her eyes burned after hearing Leila's declaration. She looked down and embraced her knees as she tried to suppress the feeling that she suddenly felt. Leila actually saw her as a friend and it was...heart-warming.

"I'm sorry...and thank you..."

Leila moved in to embrace the girl. Eclair was the first girl her age that she became close to. Iris was there but she was four years older than her and she wasn't really close with the other girls in the island.

"Where's Iris?"

Leila heard Eclair ask. Leila broke the hug and turned to Iris who was still unconscious on the floor.

"Mitch also got Iris. She injected something into her. I used my 'help' button for an antidote but all it did was lessen the drug's effect. There was no definite cure for the drug."

"What kind of drug did that bitch injected her?"

"A drug that that makes people insane. It drags out the person's most painful memories to break that person's mind. She was taunting me about it outside the room and the examiner confirmed it too."

"Does she have any painful memories?"

"Unfortunately, she has."

"Then we have no choice but wait for her to wake up. Let's just hope she's strong enough to conquer that drug."

"I believe in Iris. It's just a drug. Iris isn't so weak to let a drug defeat her."

Eclair smiled at Leila's unwavering belief.

* * *

IRIS'S DREAMWORLD

Iris doesn't really know when it started. She didn't know when people started to forget about her first name.

"Wow. That girl's really athletic. As expected of Lyra's daughter."

"You're really smart, aren't you? Just like your father Guren."

"That girl looks familiar. Ah, Lyka's niece. No wonder she's pretty."

"As expected of a Summers, she's good at everything. Bet it came from good genetics."

She didn't mind at first. She was proud to be her mother's child. She was proud to be her father's daughter. She was proud to be her aunt's niece. But it came to the point when no one ever really saw her as Iris anymore except for the people who she considered as family.

She couldn't really blame her parents and aunt for their achievements. It's something the three of them worked hard to achieve and she couldn't tarnish that hard work with her selfish insecurities. Her parents and aunt were all professional hunters who marked their presence in the world. Her mother Lyra and her fraternal twin Lyka were hunters who were involved in a lot hunter related activities and they found a lot of treasures around the world. They found ruins, jewels and other wonderful things. Her father Guren was once an active blacklist hunter that filled the prison cells with the most dangerous criminals. He may have stopped being a blacklist hunter just a year after Iris was born but he never stopped being a hunter. Nowadays, he mostly joins Lyra's hunting escapades and at the same time he manages the business empire that he inherited from his parents. Her family were towers that Iris could only hope to surpass.

One day, she asked her older cousin Luke.

"How do you deal with it?"

"Deal with what?"

"Being in the family"

Iris saw Luke's eyes widen in realization.

"Oh that...you don't actually deal with it." Luke answered.

"What do you mean?"

"You don't deal with it, you just get used to it."

"..."

"You just have to get used to it till you're strong enough or good enough to do something that will make people see and remember the actual you."

At that time, Iris couldn't speak a word in reply. She did not know how to respond to that. What was she supposed to say? What could she do that could compare to her family's achievements?

Thinking back about it, her father might have noticed her insecurities and that's why he brought her to that place. She was ten years old when her father brought her to Clockwork Haven.

"What is this place, dad?" Iris asked.

"A small boarding school full of children your age."

"I see. Why did you bring me here?"

"For your new mission."

"New mission?"

"You have to look for your friends."

"But I don't really have friends. I don't think I'd like to have one. Other children just befriend me because I..."

"I know. You don't have to tell me. I'm your father, aren't I?" Guren ruffled Iris's hair. "You know, a friend is real nice to have. Will you promise that you'll at least try and look for one?"

"Ok. I'll try. But dad..."

"What?"

"Isn't the right term 'make friends' than 'look for friends'?

"Bah...that's just technicalities. You're smart enough to figure out what I'm talking about."

Her father's decision to enroll her at the school turned out to be a really good decision. Iris managed to have friends. Real friends. Friends that actually saw her as Iris. Just as what her father told her, it was a really small school. It was just recently founded. In fact, there were only about a hundred students enrolled. Iris became friends with all of her classmates but she became particularly close to five people.

The first one was the bookworm Akane, the next one was a very shy girl named Nodoka, the third one was the chatterbox Rika, the fourth was a boy who was a bit of a glutton named Wataru and lastly, there was Shun.

"You murderer! Those cookies are instruments of murder!" The black haired boy pointed at the purple cookies at the table.

"Shun, my cookies are not instruments of murder!" Iris yelled back at the boy.

"It killed Wataru!"

"Wataru's not dead, he just fainted!"

"That doesn't sound any better! Just how worse did you mess up with those cookies anyway?!"

"I did not mess up! I just experimented a little."

"Experimented?"

"I added some new ingredients."

"New ingredients? What ingredients?"

"Chocolate...and..."

"And what?"

"Bellpepper, sardines, chili powder, ketchup, fish-"

"Stop! Don't continue or else I'll have nightmares later."

"You asked for it!"

"Children, easy now." A teacher chided the two of them. "Now Iris, I know you'll get it right someday. You are from a very talented family and I know you got-"

"Sensei, Iris's family got nothing to do with what Iris did." The boy interrupted. "Iris just did what she wanted to and her terrible cooking skills without a recipe is her own, sensei. It didn't come from her parents."

There was a reason why Iris had a close friendship with Shun despite their constant bickering. Shun was the first person aside from her family to ever see her as only Iris. She was only Iris to him. She wasn't anyone's daughter. She wasn't anyone's niece. Just her own person: Iris. Soon enough, her other classmates followed suit and they began seeing her as Iris too.

Iris was happy. She was happy at Clockwork Haven. But some happiness just doesn't last.

It was a rainy summer evening that brought an end to it all. The summer vacation already started and parents were given a week to take their child back home for vacation. There were only a total of twenty three students and faculty left in the school since their parents decided to take them at the end of the week and those students included Iris and her close friends. It was alright though since they could do fun activities instead of going to classes. At that time, Iris and Shun were punished to clean the stables because of the commotion their bickering caused. It was late when they finished their chore. The other students were already in the dining area and the two of them were hungry too. So they headed for the dining area.

They noticed it was strangely quiet. The other students usually played around during dinner and there was usually a lot of noise. But there was none and the reason became clear as they set their sights on the dining room. Iris was too shocked to even scream.

Red blood was spilled everywhere. The teachers and the students lied on a bloody heap on the floor. She spotted Nodoka's lifeless corpse. She saw Rika's bloody body on the side. She saw Wataru on a corner with a knife through his head. Then in the middle of all the carnage was Akane. The killer had his huge hand holding Akane's head. Iris eyes widened as she witnessed the whole scene. The killer, without mercy or remorse, tightened his hand on Akane's head and with a sickening crack; he crushed her skull with his bare hands.

Iris couldn't take it anymore. With a scream, she attacked the killer with all she had. She kicked and punched but every attack she made was blocked. The gap in strength between her and the killer was too big. Iris was thrown aside by the force of the punch the killer gave her. She tasted blood in her mouth. Unbelievable pain wrecked through her body. Then the killer began to approach her.

"IRIS!"

Iris heard Shun's voice. No. He needs to run. He needs to get away from here. She needed to shout and tell him but she was too weak to even scream. But Shun already leaped into action and started to fight the killer. Like her, Shun was no match for him.

The last thing she remembered was how Shun's motionless body hit the floor as it fell from its hard contact with the ceiling and the burning rage she felt towards the killer.

It was two months later that Iris woke up from a coma. It was a week after she woke up that her parents painfully told her that she was the only survivor of the incident. It was a month later after her discovery that she asked about the killer.

They told her it was a madman from a nearby mental hospital. The man was a practitioner of martial arts that went through a really bad loss that caused him to go insane. He escaped from the hospital and hunted for blood. Unfortunately, it was Clockwork Haven he chose to attack.

It was five months later from her inquiry that she finally had the courage to ask where murderer was.

Her parents told her that he was dead. She asked why and her parents got reluctant to say it. She managed to convince them though. It seemed that the murderer was dead, killed by her own two hands. Apparently, something within her awakened that night and she went berserk that she actually killed the murderer. Revenge was already executed but Iris felt empty. In the end, everyone was dead. In the end, she couldn't save anyone.

Then the world shifted.

"Will you let it happen again, Iris?"

Iris heard a boy's voice and suddenly she found herself sitting in a bed inside a spacious bedroom. In a very familiar bedroom. It was her bedroom back at Whale Island. A boy was there standing beside her bed.

"Shun..." Tears fell from her eyes.

"I repeat. Will you let it happen again, Iris?"

"Happen what?"

"Your friends are waiting for you to wake up."

"Friends?"

Shun pointed at one of the pictures attached on the wall. It was a picture of her, Gon and Leila. Leila? Leila! Leila and Eclair! The exam!

"Looks like you remember them now."

"Shun, I..."

The boy approached her and wiped her tears with his thumb.

"You finally learned to smile again, Iris. Don't let the world take that away from you again."

Suddenly, everything flashed white.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Reply to Vegadawn:** **Thank you very much for responding! It made me sigh in relief. To be honest, I actually had more difficulty making the summary (and the title - I had lots of second thoughts about it) than writing the first ten chapters of this fic. I kinda changed the summary twice before. I don't really have much confidence in my 'summary writing skills' so your review helped a lot. Seriously, thank you very much. You gave me a really good insight. And I guess you really liked how Leila and Iris lived with Gon on Whale Island prior the start of the fic since you actually mentioned it twice. It really made me happy. Though the set up was mainly for story development purposes, I actually considered that set up as one of the 'charm points' of my story and you made me really happy to know that it managed to 'charm' you. :)**

 **Reply to BlueStar5756:** **Your review made me smile! I'm glad you found it amusing to read but what really made me smile was your first statement. Eclair was the last OC I made out of the three girls and, as you may have noticed, she's quite prone to insulting others and the most temperamental out of the three so I was a bit subconsciously worried as to how readers would react to her personality so it made me happy that you specifically mentioned you liked her. And thank you very much for the follow and, of course, the review!**

 **Then I'd like to send my gratitude to 01twibeth, Crystal-fairy-hime, KuchikiUchiha, DarkJayJay88, Girlbook and Lammergeier13 for the favorites and follows. Arigatou!**

 **See you guys next week!**


	17. Chapter 17 Girls Talk

**Disclaimer: I don't own HunterxHunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 17

Girls Talk

* * *

Before I actually start this chapter, I'll put this term and definition here because you'll encounter this term in the chapter and also because once upon a time I also did not know what it means in fandom context. So it's here just in case.

Shipping – The act of willing two characters to be together and have a romantic relationship. A couple is generally referred to as a ship. Ships can be cannon, like Aragorn and Arwen in The Lord of the Rings, or not, like Amy and The Doctor in Doctor Who. Usually ships get cool mash-up names, like Dramione for Draco and Hermione in Harry Potter.

(The definition is from catontherocks wordpress. )

* * *

Leila and Eclair noticed Iris stir and woke up.

"Iris, you're finally awake."

Leila immediately hugged Iris in relief as she sat up.

"You took your sweet time resting up, Iris." Eclair commented on the side.

"What happened? How long was I out?" Iris asked.

"Approximately, five hours." Leila replied as she broke the hug.

"Ok. Why was I out?"

"The bitch injected you with a madness inflicting drug." Eclair responded. "Wait...you're not insane, are you?"

"Are you seriously asking me that?" Iris gave Eclair an incredulous look.

"Well, the drug was supposed to remind you of your most painful memories and break your mind." Leila explained.

"You looked like you were having a nightmare. You even cried in your sleep." Eclair informed her.

"What?" Iris touched her face and indeed it was wet. "But I can't remember anything."

"Good for you then. It's probably better if you don't remember." Eclair said. "Thank you for saving me, by the way."

"You're welcome but it was only natural. I couldn't just let my friend die, you know."

Eclair's eyes widened. It was just as Leila told her. Then Iris opened her arms as if expecting a hug.

"Hey, come here and give me hug here, Eclair. You really had me worried back there."

"Pass. I'm not really into mushy and cheesy stuff." Éclair said rejecting the offer.

"Oh...just do it, Eclair." Leila pushed Eclair into the hug and eventually the hug became a group hug.

"You two are seriously ruining my cool persona." Eclair complained as they broke the hug.

"Since when did you have a cool persona?" Iris and Leila simultaneously teased.

"Shut up you two and it's creepy if you say that together."

The girls, except Éclair who pouted, burst into laughter.

"Why don't we capture Bitch-I mean Mitch and finish these stuff up fast?" Iris suggested.

"Bitch is more than good enough for that damn woman." Eclair declared.

"I can't help but agree now that we are down by forty hours." Leila said.

"Forty hours?" Iris asked in confusion.

"I used my 'help' button for your medication." Leila replied.

"I see." Iris stood up and took her weapon that was just lying beside her. "Now, it's really going to be Bitch Hunting Time."

* * *

Eclair threw her dagger to the woman making her step back. As she did, Leila appeared and slashed her legs leaving a wound large enough to immobilize her. Then as a finishing strike, Iris hit her with her pole strong enough to knock her unconscious. The three of them were a bit merciless on the woman but frankly, the woman pissed them so much for the three of them to actually care.

* * *

Leila, Éclair and Iris entered the room that the examiner instructed them to stay for forty hours. It was a rather comfortable room. There were cushions they could sit or lie down on. There was a shelf full of books and a television for entertainment. At least they'll have something to turn their attention to.

"You two, you forgot about your wounds, didn't you?" Éclair suddenly asked as they sat around the room.

Leila and Iris looked at their wounds. They actually forgot to treat it after all that happened. Iris had a shallow wound on her shoulder from the knife the first criminal threw and Leila had wounds on her arm when she shielded her eyes from the bottle shards.

"Thank you for the reminder, Éclair." Leila thanked her. She then took out some bandages and medicine from her bag. She brought it just in case they get hurt and looks like she made the right decision.

Éclair wordlessly approached Leila and began cleaning her wound.

"What?" Éclair asked when Leila stared at her.

"Nothing. Just thanks." Leila smiled.

"Well, you did actually save me. It's the least I can do, I guess." Éclair replied.

Then they heard a squeal that ruined the peaceful moment.

"I can't believe Éclair's actually being nice." Iris teased.

"Shut up." Éclair glared. "And for that you get to treat your own wound."

"That's not nice." Iris fake pouted, a bit amused.

"I wasn't trying to be nice." Éclair responded.

Leila chuckled. The three of them have really bonded through that ordeal. If they weren't considered friends before, then they are surely friends now.

Then Leila and Éclair felt Iris's intense stare at them.

"What?" The both of them asked the older girl.

"Should I begin to ship the two of you?" Iris's tone was serious but there was a spark of mischief in her eyes.

"Ship where?" Leila asked not getting the question while Éclair, on the other hand, completely understood the statement.

"Iris, do you want me to worsen that wound on your shoulder?" Éclair seethed.

"Ok. You don't want a ship with Leila then. You want Gon, don't you?" Iris bared her teasing smirk.

Eclair blushed so hard that it rivaled her blood red hair.

"I am so gonna kill you, Iris!" Éclair gave a war cry as she chased a laughing Iris around the room.

"Ah! The wonderful shriek of a young maiden in love!" Iris laughed. She was quite having fun being chased around for once.

"I'm not in love! And I'm going to hurt you so bad that your future hubby Kurapika won't even recognize you!" Éclair yelled.

"That was just a misunderstanding!" Iris blushed and argued back, stopping the chase.

"Oh really? Should I start shipping the two of you?"

Iris blushed even more. Éclair, of course, didn't miss the little detail. It was her turn to tease now.

"Ah! The heated blush of a young maiden in love! How sweet…"

Iris's face burned. Revenge was just so sweet.

"Will you two stop what you are doing and tell me what's going on?! What's with a ship? Where are you going to ship Gon and Éclair?" Leila suddenly yelled.

Iris and Éclair turned to Leila who was now glaring at the both of them.

"She doesn't know about the shipping business?" Éclair asked Iris.

"We never really talked about anything even remotely romantic back at the island." Iris replied.

"Hmm…" Éclair turned back to Leila. "Leila, what do you think of that grandpa?"

"Grandpa? Netero-san?" Leila gave Éclair a confused look.

"Not the old one. The bratty one." Éclair clarified.

"Killua?" Leila sighed in exasperation. "You know, it won't kill you if you call him by his name, Éclair."

"I'd rather not. So, what do you think of him?"

"He's a friend…" Leila answered though she couldn't understand why Killua's name popped out in the conversation.

"Any special thoughts about him?" Iris piped in.

"Special thoughts? What do you mean?" Leila's level of confusion just went higher.

"She's clueless, isn't she?" Éclair turned to Iris.

"Yep." Iris agreed.

"She's also probably denser than you if you could see it and she can't. You're dense enough as it is." Éclair said.

"Hey, what the heck do you mean by that?" Iris scowled.

Leila's eyebrow twitched. She was getting irritated.

"Will the both of you stop talking as if I'm not in the room?"

Rather than answer Leila's question, however, Iris and Éclair just gave an exasperated sigh.

Leila, meanwhile, was more confused than ever.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Konnichiwa!**

 **I know this chapter is more like an omake than an episode or chapter and it's kinda short but it needed to be done. I wanted to wrap up the 'Criminal Hunting' task and I wanted to solidly establish the friendship between the three girls. Leila and Iris's friendship is already covered since they already knew each other back at Whale Island but Eclair was a stranger at first so I wanted to really integrate her into the group. Then I also wanted to clue you guys in to the romantic point of view of the girls and what they think about it like who's dense or not and who has knowledge about the other romances in the group and who doesn't. But I hope it's amusing enough for you guys to read and I hope it didn't bore you.**

 **By the way, I actually forgot to ask this last chapter but what do you guys think of Iris's past so far? I'm kinda curious of your thoughts about it. Did I write alright? I was kinda worried about it.**

 **And it would also be nice if you could let me know what you think of this chapter**

 **Please review and let me know your thoughts. I would greatly appreciate it and it would be a great motivation for me. :)**

 **Then I'd like to send my gratitude to anonymous guest who reviewed. I really, really appreciate it.**

 **And I'd like to thank diva9075, vxidcrown, rintakase and ShiroYuukixx for the favorite and the follows.**

 **Ja ne!**


	18. Chapter 18 Reunions

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 18

Reunions

* * *

Kurapika, Leorio, Gon , Killua and Tonpa headed for the room the examiner instructed them to spend their fifty hours penalty. The examiner said something strange though. The instruction itself is not strange but the next statement he said was. He said there were already occupants in the room so they'll have to join them. It seemed that those examinees also landed detention for a few hours like them.

"I wonder who are those other examinees are." Gon wondered out loud.

"As long as they aren't annoying, it's fine with me whoever they are." Killua said.

So, needless to say, they were very surprised when they actually entered the room and recognized the said occupants in the room.

"Leila! Ec-"

Kurapika covered Gon's mouth before he could cause more noise. The three girls they were parted from the start of the third phase were all in the room, sleeping. Iris was lying down on some cushions near a bookshelf. Books were scattered all around her sleeping form. Leila had her head rested on the table with some gadget near her head. Éclair was sleeping on the other side of the table. She lied down on the floor using one of the cushions in the room as a pillow and she was also holding a gadget that seemed to be the same model that Leila had nearby.

"What the heck are the three of them doing here?" Leorio whispered.

"The examiner already told us, Leorio." Kurapika replied as he released Gon's mouth.

"So they had some penalty too?" Gon asked.

"Most likely." Killua responded.

Then they noticed that Tonpa was silent. Too silent. They turned to look at him and saw that he was staring at something or rather at someone. It was Iris. The girl's clothing somehow hiked up as she slept and it was showing more skin than usual. Kurapika and Leorio became furious when they realized what the old man was doing but before they could do anything about it, a dagger went pass almost hitting Tonpa's eyes.

The boys immediately turned to the source of the dagger and found that it came from Éclair who was now very much awake.

"Keep your perverted eyes to yourself, ossan." Éclair glared at Tonpa.

"Eclair!" Gon exclaimed but kept it a bit low on volume since the others were still sleeping. He quickly approached the girl and before Eclair could react, he threw her arms around her.

Eclair blushed. "Gon, let go." She murmured weakly.

Gon obeyed but still kept Eclair at arm's length.

"What was that for?" Eclair asked.

"I don't know. I just felt really happy to see you."

Eclair just turned redder than before. Why does her heart feel as if it's going to explode?

Meanwhile, Kurapika took a blanket that was folded on the side and approached the still sleeping Iris. He took sight of the exposed skin on her stomach and blushed. The girl was seriously too beautiful for her own good. He draped the blanket into her before his self-control started to break. He is a guy too for goodness sake and Iris is a very attractive female. He may have slept beside her once but at that time she was certainly covered.

At the same time, Killua approached the table and sat beside Leila. Without thinking about it, Killua also rested his head on the table and stared at Leila's sleeping face. He missed her a bit. They've been so close together since they first met and then the trick tower just suddenly separated the two of them. It was a bit strange not to feel her presence nearby.

Leorio and Tonpa also made themselves comfortable on the room. Tonpa sat at the far corner of the room still bugged out with Eclair's attack while Leorio sat near the others.

"So what happened to you three?" Leorio asked the only awake girl in the room.

"Before I start the story telling..." Eclair turned to Killua. "Grandpa, stop drooling at Leila and make yourself useful."

Killua's head shot up and glared at Eclair. "I wasn't-"

"I don't care." Eclair interrupted. "Just move Leila and lay her on the cushions so she's comfortable enough. She's probably the most tired out of the three of us."

Killua was irritated with Eclair but she was right. Leila's position doesn't seem comfortable enough. She'd probably have stiff neck if she continued sleeping like that. So Killua gently took the girl in his arms careful not to stir her awake and laid her down on the on the cushions nearby. Then he noticed the bandages on her arm.

 _'She was hurt?'_ Now, he was really interested about what happened. He turned to Eclair. "I'm done so you better start spilling, dwarf. What happened and why are the three of you here?"

"Well, for starters, the reason why we're here is because I almost got myself killed and Iris almost got driven to insanity."

Eclair's opening statement completely caught boys' attention and concern.

"Are you ok, Eclair?" Gon asked, his voice was laced with concern.

"I'm fine, Gon. I was just poisoned and Leila already injected me with the antidote so I'm physically ok."

Gon sighed in relief. "I'm glad."

Eclair smiled.

"Eclair, Iris-" Kurapika started to ask but Eclair interrupted him.

"It's better if I start from the beginning so save the questions later."

Eclair recounted the events after the three of them were separated from the boys. From the moment they fell from the entrance up to the time they arrived on the room. The boys listened intently not wanting to miss any detail. By the time Eclair finished, the boys were suppressing the urge to kill the Mitch that Eclair talked about.

"I'm done with our side so what do the four-I mean five of you? I almost forgot that ossan is here with us."

"Nah, it's better if you just forget he existed." Leorio said earning a snort of displeasure from Tonpa.

"You sound really hostile. What did he do?"

Leorio never got to answer the question because someone in the room took everyone's attention.

Iris sat up and stretched still half asleep. Then she groaned. She was really thirsty.

"Water..." Iris leaned on the wall beside her. She was thirsty but she was too sleepy to move.

"Here's your water, Iris."

Someone offered a drink towards her so she gratefully took it.

"Arigatou." Iris said as she took a drink.

"You're welcome."

Wait...was that Kurapika's voice? Iris choked on her drink.

"Kurapika! What are you doing here?"

"We're also here too, Iris." Leorio piped in.

Iris scanned the room. The boys were all here and...

"Tonpa-san?"

"We unfortunately got stuck with him in this phase." Leorio said.

"Are you ok, Iris? Eclair told us you got drugged." Kurapika asked.

"I'm fine. The medication Leila asked for probably lessened most of the drugs effect. Apparently, I had nightmares but I couldn't remember it when I woke up."

"Is that so… then that's good." Kurapika felt relieved. Eclair already told them about it but he wasn't able to erase his unease till he actually heard it from Iris's mouth.

"Where's Leila?" Iris asked.

"Still asleep. Grandpa's blocking your vision of her." Eclair replied.

"No wonder. She was wide awake when we were both unconscious." Iris said.

All of a sudden, a small door opened on the wall beside Gon then plates full of food strolled in.

"That seems to be our dinner." Kurapika concluded.

Iris turned to look at Killua's way.

"Killua, you're nearest. Wake up Leila. She needs to eat." Iris commanded.

Killua was not usually one to be ordered around but since the order involved Leila, he found that he actually doesn't mind it. The girl was a special case. So he put his hand on Leila's shoulders and gently but firmly shook her awake.

"Leila, wake up. Time to eat."

"Five more hours, Gon." Leila responded slapping Killua's hand away still not opening her eyes.

"Gon?" Killua gave Gon a questioning gaze.

"I usually wake her up in the mornings when she oversleeps for too long." Gon admitted.

"Wasn't she meant to ask for five more minutes than five more hours?" Leorio asked.

"She's stubborn when she's asleep and when she wants to sleep." Gon replied.

"Eh? So what do you usually do in the morning?" Eclair inquired.

"Sometimes I lay my head on her and talk a lot till she gets irritated and wake up. Other times I just carry her to the breakfast table and have Mito-san jolt her awake."

Killua and Eclair found themselves a bit displeased with the information. They both have probably similar reasons as to why they're displeased but towards different persons. For some reason that the both of them would probably deny if asked, Killua didn't like the fact that another guy touched Leila and Eclair didn't like the fact that Gon's too close with another girl. And the both of them, clouded by their feelings, ignored the particular fact that Leila and Gon had been raised together like siblings so their interactions are technically quite platonic.

Killua pushed down the displeasure he felt. He was being silly again. He turned back to Leila and tried waking her up again but the girl just shrugged him off. The food was getting cold and she needed to eat. He really needed her to wake up so he tried one method he knew for sure that would wake her up. He flicked her forehead but held back most of his strength so that it won't really hurt her, just sting her for a bit.

"Ouch!" Leila held her forehead at the sudden pain. She looked around for the culprit and she was shocked to see Killua beside her. "Killua, wha-"

"Eat first, questions later."

Their dinner wasn't really what you would call a quiet affair. The boys recounted their side of events. Questions were thrown, comments were made and there were arguments the popped up every now and then. The usual culprits of the arguments were Leorio and Tonpa. It seemed that the both really gained hatred towards each other. Killua and Eclair also had their usual bickering and insult throwing. Leila tried to break it up before it got worse and Gon just laughed at the whole thing being very amused. Iris teased and Kurapika also made his fair share of comments. Needless to say, their dinner was indeed very lively.

* * *

 **Reviews are always appreciated. :)**


	19. Chapter 19 Trick Tower (Finish Line)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 19

Trick Tower (Finish Line)

* * *

Hours passed in the little room that they are trapped in. A lot of things happened as the occupants in the room entertained themselves.

The four twelve year olds got into a pillow fight. Then some time after that, Gon taught Killua how to fish with his fishing pole and Killua taught Gon how to skateboard. Leila and Eclair, meanwhile, were quite busy themselves. Eclair handed Leila the extra PSP she brought and had been teaching her how to play some games while she also played with own PSP beside her.

Kurapika and Iris sat near the bookshelves and read. Oftentimes, they would discuss what they had read and it gave a lot of entertainment as the hours passed. Leorio and Tonpa napped most of the time.

The hours sped by and it was almost time for the girls' suspension to finish. They only have five minutes left and they'll be out of the room to continue their exam. The boys still have sixteen hours left though. The girls took their bags and got ready.

"It's time. We'll see you guys at the bottom of the tower, ok?" Iris said.

"You can count on it, Iris." Leorio replied.

"The three of you be careful." Kurapika smiled.

"We will."

With one final wave, the girls left the room.

* * *

"So we need someone to hit the moving targets, another to solve the riddles and one to fetch the items we need?" Leila clarified.

The girls are now in their fifth obstacle since they left the room. Their obstacle this time is very dependent on teamwork. To pass, one of them needs to hit some moving targets on screen using a special ball. When a target is hit, it unlocks a riddle on the computer located at the side and the remaining targets will move quicker. The second member has to solve the riddles as it appears on the computer. The last member will fetch an item based on the answer of the riddle. The items will need to be fetched from the bottom of a pool in the room. The pool is quite deep and it's littered with too many random items. The diver had to search for the items underwater. The target they need to hit is ten so they'll have to solve ten riddles and fetch ten items.

"Éclair, is it ok if you will be the target hitter? I know you have a really good aim." Iris asked.

"My pleasure." Éclair smirked.

"Iris, you be the riddle solver. You're fast at solving them." Leila said.

"Just say I'm a slow swimmer, will you? No need for unnecessary compliments." Iris joked.

"Well, you always did lose every time we had swimming races back at the island." Leila teased.

"Ouch…that burned."

The three girls laughed and with a nod at each other, they went to their posts. Leila changed into the sleeveless shirt and shorts she brought. Then Leila jumped into the pool. She scanned the whole pool and engraved the positions of every object placed under the pool into her brain. She may have amnesia but ignoring that, she had a very good memory. Her diving skills were pretty good too. She usually wins the swimming races they have at the island and she _always_ wins the diving races. Leila went back up again.

"Éclair, start hitting now!"

Éclair immediately hit the first target fast and accurate. The riddle appeared on the computer as soon as the first target was hit.

 _What has a head and a tail, but no body?_

"Leila, fetch a coin!" Iris yelled.

Leila immediate dived and fetched the coin she spotted earlier. She went up and placed the coin on the designated place just next to the pool so she doesn't have to go out of the pool.

Seeing Leila done with her task, Eclair immediately moved to hit the second target.

 _What kind of room has no doors or windows?_

"Mushroom!"

Leila dived again and easily fetched the item.

The routine went on for a few more minutes. The girls were quite fast with their own tasks. They chose the member best suited for each job. Now, they are on their last one and it even took just less than twenty minutes.

Eclair hit the last target.

 _I am alive without breath and cold as death. I am never thirsty but always drinking. What am I?_

"Uh, Leila? That pool doesn't happen to have a fish swimming around there, right?" Iris asked uneasily.

"A fish? Why would you...Wait a sec, do you mean-" Leila looked at Iris in disbelief.

"Unfortunately, yes."

Leila dived. She never thought she had to catch a fish underwater with her bare hands. She scanned the pool and found the fish. She immediately swam towards it and attempted to catch it but the fish was faster than her in its own dominion.

Twenty five minutes later...

"THAT DAMN EVIL INCARNATE!" Leila cursed as her head popped out of the pool. She was getting furious and frustrated. The fish is just too fast for its own good.

Eclair was shocked. She never heard Leila curse before.

"Having fun, Leila? You were quite taking your sweet time fetching the item." Iris grinned teasingly.

"Try catching a fish underwater with your bare hands and let's see how you fare!"

"FIGHT-O, LEILA-CHAN!" Iris cheered, suddenly very supportive. There was a reason why she can't win any swimming or diving races back home.

Leila just rolled her eyes at her friend's silly antic and dived again for another attempt.

"I still can't believe that Leila just cursed." Eclair commented, still not over with the incident a while ago.

"Oh, you better believe it. That girl can spout a lot more colorful words than you if she gets furious enough."

"Really?"

"Yep. She learned it from my aunt, you know."

"Why the heck do you sound so proud about it?"

Meanwhile, Leila scanned the pool for the fish again. She spotted it just being stationary and not swimming around. Thinking back, that fish doesn't usually swim around. It just stays in one place and dodges her attempts the last minute. It dodged and swam fast so she can't really keep up with it. Then she thought of plan. If she really wants to catch the fish, she must work fast.

Leila swam quietly as she could towards the bottom of the pool just below the fish then with a split second she kicked hard on the floor and propelled herself upwards. She managed to grab the fish on her ascent. The additional speed really helped. The fish struggled to break lose which almost succeeded because of its slippery body. But Leila held on. She definitely doesn't want to go back chasing it around the pool no matter how she loves swimming.

* * *

After the last obstacle, the girls found themselves in front of three doors. It seems that one of the doors is the right exit that will take them to bottom of the tower while the other would take them to other obstacles. They just have to choose the right door. There were clues above the doors.

Door 1: The exit is not Door 2.

Door 2: The exit is either Door 1 or Door 3.

Door 3: This door is not the exit.

The girls glanced at each other and smiled. Without hesitation, they chose a door and went through it. The walked for a while then a wall at the end of the hallway slid upwards. The three of them walked right through it.

"Examinee no. 142, 406, and 407 finished the third phase exam in 63 hours and 48 minutes."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **How was the chapter and which door do you think the girls chose? (Just an easy little quiz)**

 **Then I'd like to give my thanks to CursedCrown and Wolfkid911 for the follows.**

 **Reviews are always welcome and appreciated!**


	20. Chapter 20 To Zevil Island

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

 **Author's note: Two-chapter-update today simply because this chapter is a little bit too short and too much low on content but I also didn't want to combine it with chapter 21 so enjoy the two-chapter-update guys!**

* * *

CHAPTER 20

To Zevil Island

* * *

Gon, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio and Tonpa arrived at the bottom of the tower just minutes before the seventy-hours were up. Needless to say, Leila, Eclair and Iris were relieved and glad to see them. The examinees were then led out of the tower. They savored the fresh outside air for the first time in three days.

Then an examiner appeared in front of them. He was a petite man with violet mohawk on his head. He congratulated them for passing the third phase of the exam then he proceeded to explain to them the fourth phase. He had the examinees draw lots from a box. The box contained number cards with the number of the id of the person they were going to hunt in the next exam. The fourth task will be held at Zevil Island and they will be staying there for a week. Their task is simply to hunt and steal the id plates of their target. They need six points to pass. Their own id plate is equivalent to three points, their target's id plate is three points and other examinees' id plate is one point.

All of the examinees went aboard a ship that would take them to the island.

Iris sighed as she stared at the scenery that passed the boat.

"It's unusual to see you so unenergetic." Leorio said as he stood beside Iris.

"Something wrong, Iris?" Kurapika asked, concerned. He stood at Iris's other side.

"No, nothing's wrong." Iris shook her head. "I was just thinking about things."

"Your target?" Leorio guessed.

"Nope. Not him." Iris responeded.

"Him? You already know your target, Iris?" Kurapika inquired.

"Yeah, I do." Iris nodded.

"It's not me, right?" Leorio pointed at himself uneasily.

"It's not you or Kurapika, or Gon, or Killua. Don't worry."

Leorio sighed in relief. Kurapika didn't show it much but he's glad too.

"You're not my target too or any of the others." Leorio said.

"My target is also not in our usual group." Kurapika shared.

Iris brightly smiled and both guys smiled back.

* * *

Eclair and Leila sat beside each other at some corner of the ship.

"You already know your target?" Eclair asked breaking the silence.

"Yeah and fortunately it's not one of our friends." Leila replied.

"You seem glad." Éclair commented with a knowing smirk.

"I am." Leila smiled. "How about you, Eclair?"

"None of you."

"You seem glad." Leila repeated.

"I'm not gonna respond to that honestly so I'll just shut up."

"Stubborn."

"Proud of it."

"You're still no match for Gon though."

Eclair glared and Leila chuckled.

"Eh? You were talking about me?" Gon asked suddenly appeared in front of the two of them.

Killua stood beside him. "We were looking for you and the dwarf, you know."

"Well, you found us so no harm done, right?" Leila smiled.

"I guess."

Killua sat beside Leila and Gon sat beside Eclair.

"So why were you talking about me?" Gon asked.

"Eclair's just being stubborn." Leila giggled earning a glare from Eclair.

"Just so you know, none of you are my targets." Killua suddenly said which gained questioning looks from the others. "I know you were bound to ask it."

"None of you are my targets too." Gon said.

Killua and Gon looked at the girls. Eclair and Leila shook their heads in response.

"Ne, how about we show our target cards at the same time?" Eclair suggested.

"It's kind of unusual for you to suggest that, Eclair." Leila commented.

"You were dying of curiosity, aren't you?" Éclair gave Leila a teasing smirk.

"Was it that obvious?" Leila scratched her cheek in embarrassment.

"I'm fine with it. Showing our cards." Gon expressed his agreement.

"I've got no problem with it too." Killua said.

"Then let's do it." Leila took her target card in her hand and the others followed suit. "1, 2, 3!"

They all showed their cards simultaneously. Leila's card showed 197, Eclair's card was 354, Killua was 199 and Gon was 44.

"Gon...your target's Hisoka?" Eclair looked at Gon in disbelief.

"Yeah."

"Do you plan to steal his id plate?" Leila weakly asked. She was worried. Hisoka was just too dangerous.

"If I were to fight Hisoka head on, I'd probably lose but if it's just to steal his id plate then I still have a chance. I think it's worth it." Gon declared.

"Are you scared or excited, Gon?" Killua asked.

"Both, I guess."

Eclair sighed. "I don't know if I should call you fearless or just plain stupid, Gon. But well, I think it's very much like you to try attempt it. Just do your best and don't die, ok?" Eclair wouldn't admit it to anyone but she was also worried.

"I promise." Gon smiled.

Then Gon turned to Leila.

"Leila, I..."

"I want to stop you, Gon..." Leila buried her head on her knees. "But I'll stop myself instead."

"Leila..."

"I don't want to restrain you, Gon. I'm worried but I don't want to stop you from making your own decisions." Leila straightened up and faced Gon with resolve in her eyes. "Besides, we grew up together and I know your capabilities best. I'll believe in you instead of stopping you, Gon."

"Arigatou, Leila." Gon grinned. He was glad.

"Ne, can the four of us sit here till we arrive at the island?" Leila requested.

Killua and Eclair's eyes widened while Gon just smiled in understanding.

"Why would you ask something like that?" Killua asked.

"Because we might not see each other for a while and I'll definitely miss you." Leila answered seriously.

Killua blushed. "Wha-a-"

"The four of us have been together since the first phase and we got separated on the trick tower and then now..." Leila continued. "I guess, I just miss those times when the four of us were always together. I'm really glad I entered this exam and met the two of you, Killua, Eclair." Leila smiled her brightest smile. Leila never expected that choosing to tag along with Gon and Iris in the exam would give her this much happiness.

Killua averted his eyes from Leila. Well, he was a teeny, tiny bit disappointed that it's not really specifically only him she'd miss but her last statement...He's embarrassed a bit too much to respond.

"Just how the heck do you manage to say something that embarrassing?" Eclair asked as she stared at Leila in disbelief.

"Embarrassing? I was just being honest." Leila gave Éclair a confused look.

"You're being too honest." Éclair argued.

Gon let out a laugh. "Eclair, you're stubborn."

"Why the heck you, of all people, are telling me that?"

This time it was Killua and Leila who laughed.

* * *

 **Another Author's Note:**

 **Last chapter, if anyone could recall, I gave a very easy quiz. And yes, the answer was door 1. For the guest who guessed and gave his/her review, thank you very much for responding and congratulations!**

 **Then as usual, I'd like to thank the new readers who favorited and followed this story since the last update namely: Redrose.143, and Britanylou. Thank you guys and I really appreciate it!**

 **And reviews are always welcome!**


	21. Chapter 21 Hunt

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 21

Hunt

* * *

Iris scanned the island as she stood at one of the highest landforms in the island. It was the second day of the task and she was looking for her target. She did not do much on the first day. She basically just surveyed the island on the first day. The task requires them to stay at the island for a week so she first secured her resources. Fortunately, the island was quite abundant of fruits so she won't have to worry about food and there's a river running by so there's a good water source. But now it's currently the second day. It's time to hunt seriously.

She spotted some examinees walking through the woods but so far she hasn't found her target yet. Her target was a brown haired guy she never really paid attention to until the end of the third task. She scanned the examinees that passed and just happened to remember their id numbers since her memory was quite sharp.

' _Hmmm...where the heck is my target? I could use that ability to see better but...'_

Iris stared at the red bracelet her father made her wear. It was a symbol of a promise that she won't use a certain ability during the exam as long as it's not a matter of life and death. The bracelet was mailed to Whale Island before the exam. Her father called her before she left the island and instructed her to wear it. Knowing her father, he might've inputted something in the bracelet that would let him know if she broke her promise. She wasn't one to break her promises and who knows what punishment her father could cook up if she broke her promise.

' _I guess I better not use it...'_

She scanned the surroundings again and this time it seems luck was on her side. She spotted her target. She immediately went down and followed her target silently. She hid herself in one of the trees in the surrounding. She observed her target for a while as she figured out when to move. Her target was refilling his canteen on a river and he was quite relaxed too. Looks like the guy really didn't feel her presence at all. The guy eventually took his gun and began to clean and reload it.

' _So he's a gun user.'_

Iris shifted her position to see better but it seemed her luck went out of her favor. She stepped on a damn twig.

"Who's there? Show yourself!" The guy pointed his gun at the direction of the noise, meaning Iris's direction.

' _Damn it. I really need to work on my sneaking skills. I guess there's no choice now but an encounter. It'll be troublesome if he gets away now. He'll be much on guard now that he knew I already found him.'_

Iris took her weapon from her thigh and extended it. Then she approached her target fast and the guy responded with shots from his gun. It looked like the guy was really caught off guard with her speed since his shots were not that accurate and she managed to dodge each one. The moment her target entered the range of her weapon, Iris knocked the guy's weapon out his hand and immediately followed it with a hard hit on his head. Iris's opponent fainted.

Now, she can search and get her target's id plate. Iris took her target's bag and dumped all of its contents on the ground. An id plate fell and she instantly took it in her hands.

"Well, that was unexpectedly easy and fast. I guess I better go now before he wakes up. Bye and thanks for the id plate."

Without further ado, Iris left the area with a victorious smile on her face.

* * *

"So, which one of you drew my number?" Eclair asked.

It was the third day of the fourth phase and she, Eclair, was surrounded by two snickering idiots. Eclair already had her dagger out. The two idiots, as she called them on her mind, didn't have weapons on their hands. It was either the two didn't have weapons or she was being underestimated.

"None of us, really. We just thought that we can't pass up a really cute prey." Idiot Number One answered.

"So little girl, why don't you obediently hand over your id plate? We promise we won't probably do anything to you." Idiot Number Two displayed his full blown cockiness.

Eclair smirked. So they are really underestimating her. Typical. Eclair motioned to take something from her bag and just as expected, her opponent thought she was taking out her id plate but unfortunately for them, it was her throwing knives instead.

With accuracy and speed, Eclair threw her knives at one guy and it hit both of his legs and arms. Then Eclair moved on to the second one and stabbed his side with her dagger. Both men crouched on the ground on pain helplessly.

"Sorry idiots but I am just simply not the obedient type." Eclair gave them both a smirk.

Then she proceeded to take their belongings off from them and inspected it. She found their id plates and her eyes widened in surprise. One of the plates was actually her target.

"Wow, I really have dumb luck sometimes."

With one last satisfying smirk to the idiots, Eclair left the scene and disappeared into the woods.

* * *

Still in the third day of the fourth phase, Leila had her encounter with the one who drew her number. But Leila still hasn't found her target yet.

"I finally found you, my princess." The guy in front of her said.

"So I am your target." Leila took her short sword from her bag.

"Yes, princess. You know, I find you very cute and pretty so I'd hate to wound that pretty face of yours. Why don't you hand over your id plate and I'll treat very nicely?" The guy licked his lips lecherously.

Leila shivered. This guy is a total pervert.

"Sorry but I'm not handing my id plate to a pervert like you."

"Wrong choice, princess."

The guy moved attacked her with a knife but Leila was able to block the knife with her short sword.

"You got lucky, princess."

"It wasn't luck and please don't call me princess. It's creepy."

Leila kicked her attacker. Before he could recover, she moved fast and slashed him across the torso. The guy immediately went down but he was still conscious just immobilized by pain. Leila approached her attacker and took his belongings. She found his id plate. As expected, it wasn't her target but she better keep the id plate for now.

"That wound is not that deep so you'll live." Leila said.

Leila left. When she was a fair distance away, she looked around and saw that it was getting late.

' _I guess I better postpone my own hunt tomorrow.'_


	22. Chapter 22 Unplanned Rendezvous

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 22

Unplanned Rendezvous

* * *

It was midday during the fourth day in the island that Leila found her target. Her target was the youngest of the three brothers that entered the exam. She hid herself atop a tree behind her target. It looks like her target was tailing someone. She scanned the surroundings and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw that it was Killua he was tailing after. Leila thought of approaching Killua but it might alarm her target.

"Hey, you better show yourself or I'll come to you instead." Killua said.

Then suddenly her target's brothers appeared and forced her target to confront Killua. There wasn't a trace of worry in Killua's eyes. After a few words, her target kicked Killua hard which seemed to have no effect to the silver head at all. Killua stood up and took an id plate from his pocket.

"Number 197. This number is just a number below my target." Killua said then he remembered something. It was Leila's target. "Leila! Are you in here? I've got your target's id plate so come out now."

Leila was surprised. Killua actually noticed that she's here. She revealed herself and went down from her perch to Killua's side.

"I didn't think you knew I was here, Killua." Leila said as she smiled in greeting.

"I know someone was watching nearby but I didn't suspect that it was you till I saw the number." Killua smiled back. It was good to see her again after three days.

"Hmmm...Is that so."

"Here." Killua handed the id plate to Leila.

"Is it ok for you to just hand it over to me?"

"It's of no use to me anyway since one of these guys is my target and besides, I might just ask you for some payment later." Killua smirked.

"Ok. That's fair enough." Leila smiled.

Meanwhile, the brothers were in shock. They didn't notice that the girl was nearby. These kids weren't ordinary. It was time they fight them seriously. The brothers went into formation but before they could even start their attack, Killua's sharp nails were already threatening the throat of the middle brother. Killua took his captive's id plate.

"198. Che. I missed." Killua turned to the oldest brother. "Looks like you're my target. Hand over your plate, ossan or this guy will definitely die."

Without a choice, the eldest gave his id plate to Killua. The silver head let go of his captive who hurriedly scampered away from him.

"Now, what to do with this useless plate? I think I just better throw this someplace else." Killua said.

"Killua, I also have another useless id plate here. I'll leave its disposal to you." Leila handed Killua the plate she got yesterday.

"Ok." Killua then proceeded to throw the plates on opposite directions. "You guys, still have three days left so do your best and find them."

Leila and Killua both left the scene together and after they ran a fair distance away, they both settled and sat, leaning their backs on one of the trees in the forest.

"That was quite mean, Killua. Switching the plates the moment you threw it." Leila joked.

"And just who handed me the other plate? You are as guilty as me, you know."

Leila laughed. The both of them actually sensed that another person was watching nearby and well, they couldn't resist playing a little trick.

"I wonder what his reaction was." Leila tried to imagine the poor victim's face.

"Well, for all we know he might be cursing the two of us to hell." Killua smirked.

"Ne Killua, what's your plan now?"

"I don't know. Hide till the exam ends? How about you?"

"Probably hide like you."

"Hmmm...Is that so..."

"It's boring hiding alone."

"..."

"Want to team up till the exam ends?"

Killua tried to suppress the smile that was threatening to show up on his face. "Ok, if you insist."

"I know you'll agree. You'll probably be just as bored hiding alone on this island for three days." Leila handed Killua a fruit. "Here."

Killua took a bite from the fruit. "Where did you get the other id plate, by the way?"

"From a pervert." Leila took a bite from her own fruit.

"A pervert?! Did he do something to you?" If that guy did something to her, he is going to murder the guy.

"Nothing, really. He didn't have a chance to. He just kept calling me princess. It's creepy. What's so princess like about me, anyway?"

"You're pretty." Killua said without really thinking about it and then he blushed as he realized what he just said out loud.

Leila's eyes widened. "Killua, what did you just say?"

Killua composed himself. "I said you're pretty enough but other than that there's nothing else princess like about you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Leila glared and pinched Killua's cheek, just a little bit upset with the 'little insult' Killua managed to slip in.

"Why? Do you want to be a princess?" Killua took her hand that was pinching his cheeks.

"I guess, not really." Leila paused. "I think princesses are kinda overrated anyway."

"So what's the problem?"

Leila shrugged then she turned to Killua with a teasing grin. "So you think I'm pretty?"

Killua blushed and averted his eyes. "I'm not going to answer that."

"Eh? Why not?"

"Just no."

Leila chuckled. "Well, for the record, I think you're very handsome too, Killua." Leila smiled at Killua brightly and innocently.

Killua whole face turned red. He was embarrassed but there was another feeling bubbling inside of him.

' _Damn it. Why the heck do I feel so happy?'_

* * *

It was the fifth day at Zevil Island that Iris and Eclair had an unexpected reunion.

Iris perched on top of a tree as she ate her fruity lunch. Perching on a tree had several benefits. One, the leaves served as a very nice shade against the sun and a good camouflage. Two, the trunk of the tree and the branch is rather nice seat. Three, she got a very nice view on the ground below. She had her eyes on alert for passersby and so far none have entered her vision until...

"Eclair!" Iris smirked as she successfully got the red haired girl's attention. "Join me up here and give me some company."

"Iris… of all people I had to meet on this island… it just had to be you." Eclair sighed.

"Why? I think I'm great company." Iris playfully responded.

"Just so you know...one tease from you and I'm leaving."

"I didn't think you'd prefer mute trees than my entertaining company, Eclair. I'm hurt." Iris feigned hurt as she put her hand in her chest and then she turned her expression into a mocking one. "I also didn't think you were quite a vulnerable little thing that can't take one single tease."

Eclair scoffed. That darn blue haired girl is just sometimes too clever with her words for her own good. "Ok. You got me. I'll take you up on your offer. I'll just tease you back when it all comes down to it. It's not as if I don't have anything on my arsenal of knowledge that I could use against you."

"I know you'll see it my way." Iris genuinely smiled at the response.

Eclair went up the three and sat beside Iris. "How's your hunt?"

"Got my target three days ago. You?"

"I'm also done with mine two days ago. The idiot just strolled up to me with another idiot not knowing he was my target. To be fair, I also didn't know it was him."

"Judging from the fact that you're here, I guessed you defeated the so called idiots, took their plates and realized one was your target."

"Yeah."

"Nice dumb luck you have."

"Happy to have it." Eclair smirked. "Have you met any of the others?"

"Unfortunately no and I was getting bored. It was very nice of you to drop in."

"I wonder if they were successful with their hunts."

"Well, I really hope they are. I mean I know Leorio and Kurapika won't have that much problems with their targets."

"Why? Do you know their targets?"

"Yeah. Leorio's target was a woman and in terms of physical strength, Leorio has a huge advantage. That woman may have some kind of secret weapon but I think Leorio could handle it just fine."

"What about Kurapika?"

Iris grinned. "His target was Tonpa-san."

Eclair's face contorted in disgust at the mention of the name. "You mean that stupid old pervert was his target?"

Iris was quite surprised at Eclair's hostile description. "Pervert? Why? Did Tonpa-san do something to you?"

"Not to me but to you."

"Huh?"

"You were asleep so you don't remember. Don't worry, he just looked at you with that perverted eyes of his but he never really got the chance to actually do anything."

"Really?"

Eclair gave out one evil grin. "Let's just say that there was an interference that almost incapacitated one of his eyeballs."

"Judging by that smirk, I think it was you who did it so I'll just say thank you and leave it at that. I feel that if we continue on with this topic, you'll be insulting Tonpa-san till sundown."

"The boys were there anyway so they'd have done it if I didn't do the first move."

"Thanks anyway." Iris bared her signature teasing smile. "I didn't know you cared for me that much. I feel loved."

Éclair just rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Iris and don't make me regret it."

"Alright." Iris said as she controlled her giggles. "Anyway, Tonpa-san is clearly no match for Kurapika. With physical strength and skill, Kurapika's definitely higher. Though Tonpa-san may be quite cunning, Kurapika is a lot clever. The match is set before it even started."

Eclair gave a prolonged sigh in response. "The pride a wife feels for her husband. That's very sweet of you, Ri-chan."

Iris burned. "Eclair! I told you it was just Jii-chan's misunderstanding!" Then Iris pouted. "Geez. I was supposed to do the teasing, you know. Not the other way around."

"Blame that on destiny who made me meet you just to make me break that teasing streak of yours."

Iris sighed in defeat. "How cruel." Then she blinked and turned to Eclair again. "By the way, how about Leila, Gon and Killua? You know their targets, right?"

"Yeah. Leila and grandpa's target were two of those stupid brothers. I think they are fairly capable of handling any of them. But Gon..."

"Something wrong?"

"His target was that bloodthirsty pierrot." Eclair seethed.

"Hisoka?!" Iris almost fell from the branch.

"He said his going to try and steal his id plate."

"You wanted to stop him, didn't you?"

"..." Éclair just averted her eyes, suddenly gaining interest in the surrounding.

"You really care for Gon a lot, don't you Eclair?"

"I...I'm not...Not really..." Eclair mumbled weakly as she turned her gaze to the ground.

"That's too weak of an answer." Iris let out a sincere smile. "No matter how stubbornly dishonest you are, you can't completely cover up that kind and caring heart of yours', Eclair. Admitting it to yourself would make it a lot easier, you know. But I'm not criticizing the way you express yourself. You're quite cute like that anyway."

Eclair flushed. "Shut up and don't call me cute."

Iris just laughed in response.

* * *

It was the sixth day of the fourth phase of the hunter exam that Leorio found his target, Ponzu, with the help of Gon and Kurapika.

Kurapika made an alliance with Leorio on the second day of the island since his target Tonpa going after Leorio. Kurapika and Leorio had successfully dealt with him and his partner and acquired Tonpa's plate.

On the other hand, Gon just recently joined the two of them. After Gon's not really successful encounter with Hisoka, he sought Kurapika and Leorio out to offer his help. Gon had actually managed to steal Hisoka's id plate but he was paralyzed with poison from another examiner before he had the chance to fully get away. Hisoka killed the other examiner and handed the id plates Gon needed. Gon refused at first but Hisoka just punched him and told him to give it back to him when he could return the punch he just gave him.

Back to the present, the three of them found Ponzu inside a cave. Leorio insisted to enter the cave first but the situation inside the cave wasn't good. After hearing a shout of warning from Leorio, Kurapika and Gon followed inside. They found Leorio bitten by snakes, Ponzu sitting on the side and a very dead Bourbon sitting at the back of the cave. The whole cave seemed to be some trap Bourbon made.

Gon successfully took the antidote from Bourbon despite the fact that a few snakes attacked. Kurapika injected the antidote to both Gon and Leorio. Then Gon suggested an escape plan. They released the sleeping gas inside the cave. Gon held his breath and successfully carried the Ponzu, Kurapika, Leorio on his back out of the cave. He left Bourbon's plate with Ponzu and took Ponzu's id plate instead for Leorio's sake.

Then the final and seventh day came.

An announcement was heard throughout the island. All those who survived arrived at the meeting place. At that moment, all of the examinees who could proceed to the final phase of the exam gathered.

Hisoka, Gitalakur, Bodoro, Hanzu, Pokkle, Iris, Eclair, Leila, Killua, Kurapika, Leorio and finally, Gon.

Twelve examinees passed the fourth phase of the hunter exam.

* * *

 **I'd like to send my gratitude Ame-onna99, Nycel, Piepieoj00, ayashikana, gabrielasprott , Whirlpool1246 for the favoriting and following this story. It made me quite happy to know that I actually got a few new readers since the last chapter. :)**

 **Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!**


	23. Chapter 23 Interviews

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 23

Interviews

* * *

Killua and Gon gave each other a high five as they met again on the airship that took them away from the island. Leila and Eclair also joined the two of them and once again their little group was complete.

"Gon, Eclair, it's really nice to see the both of you again." Leila smiled.

"Just us? You're not going to include grandpa?" Eclair asked.

"I think I could still go on a few more days or maybe months or years without seeing your face, dwarf." Killua retaliated.

"Likewise, gramps."

"You two just had to start, don't you? Why can't you just call each other's names already?" Leila sighed.

"His name is going to give me bad luck."

"Her name is going to poison my tongue."

"You two are impossible." Leila rolled her eyes at their antics. "And to answer your earlier question, Eclair, I was with Killua for the last three days since our targets worked together."

"Is that so..." Eclair eyed Killua suspiciously.

"Gon, you really passed. You defeated three other examinees, did you?" Killua steered the topic feeling that Eclair's gaze on him can't be anything good.

"I didn't." Gon held up Hisoka id plate in front of everyone.

"You really stole his plate?!" Leila said in surprise.

"Just what magic did you use, Gon?" Killua asked.

"I just received this." Gon replied but it wasn't in his usual cheerful tone.

"What happened?" Eclair asked.

"Nothing, really."

The other three then noticed that Gon wasn't as cheerful as usual.

"Well, whatever happened, you passed the fourth phase and we're now on the final test so don't worry about it that much." Killua said.

"I guess, you're right." Gon relented.

Suddenly, an announcement was heard throughout the airship. It seems like Netero wanted to interview each of the examinees one by one.

* * *

A few other examinees already had their interview done and then Iris's turn came. Iris went to the interview room and sat down in front of the man she called 'Jii-chan' her whole life.

"Nice to see you again, Jii-chan." Iris greeted.

"Nice to see you again, Ri-chan." Netero greeted back. "You've really grown up since the last time I saw you before this exam."

"That was three years ago, Jii-chan. I haven't changed that much."

"Nonsense. You got prettier, Ri-chan. You also look much happier now."

"I guess I'm much happier now."

"Those friends you met at Whale Island really helped you a lot, did they?"

"I owe Leila and Gon a lot." Iris smiled which earned a smile back from Netero.

"So back to the interview." Netero straightened up. "Why did you enter the Hunter Exam?"

"You know that I've always wanted to be hunter my whole life, Jii-chan. My whole family, including you, Jii-chan, inspired me to be one. But I also want to step out of the family's shadow and prove myself. Passing this exam is the first step."

Netero smiled. "Next question, who are you keeping an eye on?"

"Hisoka. His blood thirst remind of someone I don't want to remember." Iris's mood turned a bit sour.

Netoro nodded in understanding. "Who do you want to fight the least?"

"I don't want to fight Gon, Leila, Eclair, Killua, Leorio and Kurapika. They're my friends." Iris composed herself.

"Are you sure you're just friends with that young man?"

Iris blushed. "Jii-chan, I already told you that Kurapika and I are not in that kind of relationship."

"I never said a name, you know."

Iris turned redder. "Well, you misunderstood before. Where on earth did you get that idea anyway?"

"From the gazes you give at each other, of course."

"Gazes? What gazes?" Iris eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"You're quite dense, aren't you, Ri-chan?"

"Dense? What do you mean?"

"Oh, the good old days of youth." Netero started to reminiscent his own youth which successfully stopped Iris from asking any more questions.

* * *

The next interview is with Kurapika.

"Why did you enter the Hunter Exam?"

"To carry out an objective." Kurapika answered.

"Who are you keeping an eye on?"

"For positive reasons, it's Gon. For negative reasons, it's Hisoka."

"Oho. I see. So I can assume that you're keeping an eye on my granddaughter for romantic reasons then?"

Kurapika turned red. "I-"

"Don't worry, young man, I know how attractive my granddaughter can be. But I hope you know she's a much deeper person."

"I know Iris is much more than what she physically looks, sir. But I don't really-"

"Young man..." Netero interrupted. "Don't finish a sentence you really aren't sure of."

Kurapika's eye widened in realization and no more words came from his mouth at the moment.

"Last question, who do you want to fight the least?"

"I could fight anyone if there's a need to but if there's no reason to fight, then I won't."

* * *

The next one is Leorio's interview.

"Why did you enter this exam?"

"For money."

"That's quite a blunt answer. I sense you have a few other reasons but I'll let you keep it to yourself." Netero said. "Next question, who are you keeping an eye on?"

"Gon. He helped me a lot in this exam so I want him to pass."

"Who do you want to fight the least?"

"Also Gon. I owe him a lot."

* * *

Next was Eclair.

"Why did you enter this exam?"

"To acquire and do something." Eclair answered bluntly.

"Who do you keep an eye on?"

"Gon."

"..."

"..."

"Why?"

Eclair glared at the old man. "Do I really have to answer that?"

"I won't consider your answer valid if you don't and it will probably cause you problems soon enough."

"..."

"Reasons?" Netero prodded.

Eclair sighed. "He's strange."

"Strange? In what way?"

Eclair squirmed in her seat turning her gaze down to her lap. "Well...for one, he wanted to be my friend..."

"Go on."

"Then he drags me everywhere and for some reason...I'm not as irritated as I thought I would be...When he does his stubborn act, I find myself unable to refuse him...and mysteriously, I don't mind it at all. Then sometimes he's too...affectionate... he holds my hand like it's the most natural thing in the world and he hugs me out of nowhere. He makes me feel like an idiot whenever he does those things. I was embarrassed yet I was happy. I was angry but I didn't hate his gestures at all. Despite only being with him for a few weeks, he made me care for him a lot. He makes me worried for his safety. He makes me anxiously excited for his smiles. He makes me long for his company. He's strange. Of all the people I've met, he's the only one who ever made me feel like this..."

Netero sipped his tea. Only twelve years old and the little girl already got it bad. "So...in other words...you have a crush on him." A crush was an understatement but the girl might not be able to take it if he said something more.

Eclair blushed redder than her hair and her jaw dropped as she stood up in surprise. "I DON'T HAVE A CRUSH ON GON! HOW THE HECK DID YOU ARRIVE ON THAT DAMN CONCLUSION, OLD MAN?!"

"Oho...I'm sorry about that." Netero stroked his beard. "I didn't know you were still in the denial stage."

"I'M NOT IN DENIAL!"

"Well, no need to shout. Calm down and sit. I still have one last question and after that I'll let you go."

Eclair looked at the old man suspiciously.

Netero sighed. "I promise I won't breach the subject again."

"I think I'll just stand. It's your last question anyway."

"Alright." Looks like he made the girl unnecessarily wary of him. "Who do you want to fight the least?"

"Hisoka."

"Are you sure it's only him?"

"I guess I don't want to fight Gon and Leila and maybe even that white haired bratty grandpa."

* * *

Next to be interviewed is Leila.

"Why did you enter this exam?" Netero started.

"I wanted to tag along with Iris and Gon, I guess. I also hope that it will make a search that I'll probably do in the future much easier."

"Who are you keeping an eye on?"

"Gon, Eclair and Killua. I really got close to them in this exam. There's also Iris, Kurapika and Leorio."

"I see. So who do you want to fight the least?"

"My friends. The ones I mentioned earlier."

"You seem very fond of them."

"As I said they're my friends and being with them makes me happy. At first, I had only Gon and Iris but now there are the others who I luckily met at this exam too. Leorio and Kurapika are like the big brothers I never had. Leorio is goofy but he's fun to have around. Kurapika is cool and responsible that he somehow makes me feel like I could rely on him. Then there's Eclair and Killua. I'm glad to have Eclair, a girl of the same age, as a friend. She's stubborn and sometimes she's not honest with herself but she's really kind too. Then Killua..."

"Something wrong about him?"

"It's not something wrong but...well…just different..."

"Different?"

"I like being with the others too but...I don't know why but every moment I had with Killua… shined. I don't know if it's the right term but that's how it felt. I liked the happy moments I had with him the most. Somehow, my world just got a lot colorful after I met him. I've felt emotions I've never felt before and I thought about things that I never expected to cross my mind. It's weird, right?" Leila flashed Netero a very innocent grin.

How peculiar. Her friend, Eclair, denied what she felt but Leila acknowledged her feelings without hesitation. Though Leila was quite clueless as how to classify what she felt, she acknowledged them nonetheless.

Netero smiled. He decided to stay quiet and not say anything for now. It would be a lot better to let the girl discover the answers on her own.

* * *

This time it's Gon.

"Why did you enter this exam?"

"I wanted to be a hunter and see what the job is like."

"I see. Who are you keeping an eye on?"

"Hisoka. A lot have happened and I'm curious about him."

"Who do you want to fight the least?"

"I can't choose between Eclair, Leila, Killua, Iris, Kurapika and Leorio."

"You have a rather similar answer with another examinee."

* * *

The last one in the group to be interviewed was Killua.

"Why did you enter the Hunter Exam?"

"To kill time, I guess."

"Did it serve its purpose?"

"It's alright. The exam itself was boring but the people who joined it made it interesting."

"I see. Who are you keeping an eye on?"

"Hisoka. He's the strongest one here."

"Who do you want to fight the least?"

"That guy Pokkle. He looks weak."

"It's not good to lie, you know."

"Che. You found me out."

"If you don't answer me honestly now, you might encounter some problems later."

"Alright, I'll spill. I'm keeping an eye on Gon and Leila...and maybe even a bit on that dwarf with the crappy attitude. They're also the ones I don't want to fight."

"Cause they're your friends?"

Killua averted his eyes. "I don't know why but...it's fun and interesting...being with the three of them. Being with Gon is fun. I'm strangely happy whenever I'm with Leila. The dwarf, as much as I'm annoyed with her damn personality, makes things more interesting."

* * *

 **So how was the chapter? Which interview did you like best? Curious...**

 **Review and let me know. :)**

 **And a big thank you to vanessa, Ame-onna99, IamAmazing326 for the reviews last chapter. It really gave me lots of encouragement!**

 **Hope you guys had fun reading this chapter as much as I had fun writing it!**


	24. Chapter 24 Questions

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 24

Questions

* * *

The four twelve year old were having a meal in the dining area of the airship when Gon suddenly excused himself and left the table. It has been a while since he left.

"I better go check on, Gon. I'm worried about him. I'll be back." Leila said in obvious concern and left.

"Just so you know… I'm not entertaining you while Leila's not around, grandpa." Eclair nonchalantly took a sip from her juice.

"I'm not expecting anything from you, dwarf and I don't think you're capable enough to do something that's even a bit least entertaining." Killua retorted.

It's really boring when it's just the two of them.

* * *

Leila found Gon having a conversation with Kurapika on the hallway. They were watching the setting sun outside the airship as they talked. It looked like they were having a nice conversation since Gon seemed to be back to his cheerful self. She had been worried when she saw Gon a bit down but now, everything seems to be ok.

"Gon" Leila called.

"Leila!" Gon smiled in greeting. "Did I take too long?"

"Don't worry about it. Killua and Eclair are still there, waiting. Why don't you go ahead and I'll catch up with you?"

Gon gave Leila a questioning look. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I want to talk to Kurapika for a bit."

"Ok. I'll see you later." Gon left towards the dining room.

Leila turned to Kurapika. "Arigatou, Kurapika."

"For what?" Kurapika asked.

"For Gon. I was worried since I notice that he was a bit down when he came back from the island but now he seems to be a lot better. Whatever you said to him really helped him a lot so thank you, Kurapika." Leila smiled in gratitude.

Kurapika shook his head. "It's really nothing to thank about. Gon has helped me a lot more."

"Well then, thank you for easing up my worrying heart."

Kurapika chuckled at the reply. "Stubborn, are you?"

"I had lots of practice with Gon." Leila grinned back.

"You really care about Gon, do you, Leila?"

"Well, Gon was like a brother to me so, I guess, I care about him a lot." Leila answered shyly.

Kurapika smiled at the girl and without really thinking about it, he reached out his hand and gently patted Leila's head. "You're a really good girl, Leila."

Leila eyes widened at the sudden action but after the initial surprise, she welcomed Kurapika's warm gesture. It was like having a big brother. Leila brightly smiled back at Kurapika.

It was at that moment that Kurapika saw something else other than Leila's face. Another face from his memory overlapped the moment that Leila smiled. The image from his memory was a very young girl's face that he once considered as his little sister. He realized it just now but Leila bears a very strong resemblance to the little girl he once loved as his own family. There was a contradiction though. While Leila had unique purple eyes, the little girl in his memories had deep blue eyes.

* * *

Gon arrived at the dining area with the sight of Killua and Eclair bickering again. He cheerfully approached and greeted the two of them.

"Where's Leila, Gon?" Killua asked as he saw no trace of Leila.

"She told me to go ahead because she wanted to talk to Kurapika for a bit."

Killua suddenly felt irritated. "Why would she want to talk to him?"

Gon shrugged. "I don't know. She never told me why."

"Are they talking alone?" Killua prodded on.

"Well, I didn't see anybody else there when I left."

Killua stood up all of a sudden with an unreadable expression on his face and motioned to leave.

"Where are you going, Killua?" Gon asked.

"Somewhere" Killua replied and left towards the direction Gon came.

"Is this table cursed or what? Its occupants kept leaving in the middle of the meal." Eclair commented.

Gon weakly laughed in response as he sat across Eclair. "Sorry about that, Eclair."

"You seem to be cheerful again." Eclair commented.

"Kurapika cheered me up. Did I make you worry, Eclair?"

Eclair blushed and averted her eyes. "Ask Leila that question and she'll answer yes."

"But I'm asking you, Eclair."

Eclair's blush deepened. "Tough luck. I'm not answering that."

"Why not?"

"I just don't want to."

Gon took Eclair's refusal to answer as a 'yes' to the original question and smiled. "Thank you for worrying about me, Eclair."

Eclair turned her eyes back to Gon again and stared at his smiling face. "You're strange, Gon."

"Huh?"

Eclair looked down and clutched a fist on her heart. "Just a few weeks ago, you were nothing but a stranger to me...but now...just what did you do to me to make me care for you this much?"

Gon's eyes softened. "We became friends, Eclair. And I also care about you a lot."

Eclair's fist tightened. _'Then why does my heart feel like it's rejecting your answer, Gon?'_

* * *

The scene that greeted Killua made him clench his fists tight in anger. Kurapika had his hand Leila's head and Leila was smiling sweetly back at him. Killua couldn't take the sight of it. He grabbed Leila's hand and pulled her away from Kurapika.

Kurapika and Leila were both startled from the action but before they could ask anything, Killua already began to drag Leila away. After walking for a while, Leila finally had it. She stomped her feet and stopped Killua but she never took her hand away from his.

"What's wrong, Killua? Did something happen?" Leila asked.

"Nothing." Killua face her with an unreadable expression. "What were you doing with Kurapika?"

"Just talking."

"Then why did he touch you if you were just talking?"

"Dunno. The conversation just turned out that way."

"You don't seem to mind."

"I don't. It was a nice gesture."

Killua felt something boil within him. "Do you have some crush on him that you like what he did to you so much?"

"I think Kurapika's cool and I like him as a friend..." Leila noticed that Killua's hold on her hand just tightened. "But he's not my crush."

Killua's expression suddenly turned back to normal and his previous rage evaporated. There was something unusual in the last statement that he needed to address. "What did you say?"

"Kurapika's not my crush." Leila repeated.

Then it him. As fast as his rage left him, it came back just as fast but towards another person. "You have a crush?"

"Yes. It's normal, isn't it?"

"Who is it?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Just answer it." He's now ready to murder someone.

"Ok. It's you." Leila straightforwardly responded thinking nothing wrong of her answer.

"You? Who the heck-" Then it him again like thunder. "You...you mean me?"

Leila knitted her eyebrows in confusion. "Just who else do you think I'm referring to? There's no one else here. Of course, it's you."

Killua's jaw dropped and blushed. "What? How? When?"

"I guess it started around that time when you carried me during the first phase. You're face was really close to me and I thought you were really handsome and I realized I had a crush on you when I complimented you back at the island."

Killua's blush deepened. He was feeling seriously happy. "You-"

"I mean a crush is a physical attraction to another person, right?" Leila asked in clarification.

Killua stopped. "So you're just crushing on me because of my looks?"

Leila gave him a confused look before nodding. "Should there be any other reason? I mean the dictionary only talked about physical attraction."

 _'Should I really be happy that she's crushing on me?'_ Killua thought. _'On second thought, why the heck should I be feeling happy in the first place? It's just Leila...just Leila...Leila...crushing on me...having a damn crush on me...'_ Killua covered his mouth with his hand as he felt his lips twitch upwards at the thought.

"Ah! Wait a sec..." Leila's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"What?"

"I really think Kurapika's cool. Does that mean I have a crush on him too?" Leila asked innocently.

Killua's eyebrow twitched and put his hand down. _'She just admitted she had a crush on me and now she's crushing on another guy?!'_

"Hmm...so I guess, I have a crush on both you and Kurapika." Leila concluded.

A tick mark appeared on Killua's head. "You're not allowed to have another crush."

"Why?" Leila asked curiously.

"It's the rule."

"But Killua, I never heard of that rule."

"You only remember the last for years of your life so you don't know."

"Are you sure? You aren't just messing with me, are you?"

"Just accept the rule before I go insane, will you?" Killua was getting irritated.

"Eh? Insane? Why would you go insane? It's just a crush. You're really weird sometimes, Killua."

At that moment, Killua really felt his sanity leaving him.

* * *

"Kurapika, was that Killua dragging Leila away?" Iris asked.

Iris arrived at the scene just before Killua and Leila disappeared in a corner turn.

"Yes, it was them."

"What happened?"

"I don't really know." Kurapika answered honestly. Even he was confused as to what happened.

"Hmmm..."

"Why are you here, Iris?"

"Just strolling around, I guess. How about you?"

"I had a conversation with Gon and then with Leila and then now with you."

Iris chuckled. "You've been busy." Then suddenly Iris held Kurapika's face with both of her hands.

"Iris?" Kurapika's eyes widened but he did resist the girl's action.

"I just realized I haven't seen your face in a week."

"Is that so..."

"And now I just realized I missed you." Iris grinned. She never knew that she would feel that glad to see and talk to Kurapika again.

Kurapika blushed but unlike before he did not stammer out some indignant response in embarrassment. This time he just smiled back Iris and gently held one hand that held his face.

After his interview with Netero, he thought about a lot of things. A large part of it was Iris and how he felt for her. Netero was right. He wasn't sure what he really felt for Iris. But after he carefully thought about it, he realized his feelings weren't ordinary feelings of friendship. She attracted him with her beauty the first time he laid his eyes on her. And the more he spent time with her, the more he felt things other than physical attraction. Now, the moment he held her hand, it fell right in place. He liked her.

"Kurapika?" Iris blushed hard. She had never seen Kurapika smile so serenely and it was directly addressed to her.

"Your hand is really warm and soft, Iris." Kurapika squeezed the hand he was holding. He wondered when will he have the courage to actually tell her his feelings. It will probably be a long time before it happens. For now, he's just contented with her just beside him and the smiles she directs towards him. For now.

Iris, meanwhile, was speechless with her heart beating a mile per minute. That feeling was back again. The feeling that she felt when she first held Kurapika's hand but now, it's a hundred times more intense.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So what did you think of the chapter, guys? Did you spot the hint about Leila's possible identity? What did you think about it?**

 **And I really hope that you liked the romance in this chapter because the next two chapters will be truly serious business so the romance will be toned down for a bit but I'll do my best to write it as entertaining as possible.**

 **Please review and let me know your opinion about it!**

 **Your reviews will really help me a lot. :)**

 **Replies:**

 **To ereynon1 : Thank you very much for reviewing again! I'm glad you found Eclair's 'tsundere-ness' adorable. She was really fun to write. Though I must admit, making Eclair as a tsundere wasn't really in the initial plan but as I continued to write her character it just turned out that way and I'm glad it did. It really made me happy to know that you liked her. And thank you very much for continuing to read my story! Remember that you could always review you again. :)**

 **To IamAmazing326 : Very happy to read your review again! Thanks a lot! Your reviews really motivate me to write. I'm glad that you liked the chapter and my writing so far! Feel free to review anytime you want. :)**

 **To The Otaku Lady Priya : Thank you very much for the review, my lady~~ Hehe~ Sorry, can't resist it~ I'm glad you liked my fanfic and I'm very happy to have you on board! I'm also glad that you found the pairings cute too. And thanks a lot for the fave and the follow! Don't hesitate to review again if you want!**

 **And I'd like to thank BBRawr, Geo Soul, Halloween Witch, LightFlair, SkyeAmber and starlightstella for the favorites and the follows. :)**

 **See you guys next chap!**


	25. Chapter 25 Exam's Final Phase -1st Match

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 25

Exam's Final Phase

(First Match)

* * *

After a few hours of flight, the airship finally landed. The examinees where then led to a certain building. It was time for the final phase of the exam. They all assembled in a very big room and all of the examiners they met in the exam were present along with the president of the Hunter Association.

"The last phase of the exam will be in the form of duels of 1 vs. 1." Netero announced. "The groups are the following..."

Netero removed the cloth covering a board that was placed in the area. Written on the board was the tournament pyramid showing the match ups. It was a bit peculiar though.

"The rule of the last round is very simple. One victory and you pass the exam." Netero continued. "In other words, in this tournament the winners quit the game one by one. The principle of the pyramid is to designate the loser not the winner. Do you understand?"

"So there will be only one eliminated?" Hanzo asked in clarification.

"Exactly! And consequently, each person has at least three opportunities to win."

"What about the rules of the fight? Are weapons allowed?" Eclair asked.

"Yes, weapons are allowed and pushing your opponent to quit gives you the victory. However, if you kill your opponent, you will be disqualified."

Seeing that there's no more questions, Netero signalled for the umpire to begin the first match.

"First match! Hanzo versus Gon!"

The match between Hanzo and Gon was rather one sided. Gon was fast and he had skills but the gap in experience was clear. Hanzo had the upper hand in the match. Hanzo landed a clean hit on Gon paralyzing him and even worsening it by giving him another hit which blurred his sight. Gon was stubborn though. He refused to give up and Hanzo continued to torture him without mercy.

"Gon! Don't be so persistent about this! There are other matches!" Leorio shouted. He couldn't bear to watch it anymore.

"If you were Gon, would you give up, Leorio?" Kurapika asked. He was also worried about Gon but, on the other hand, he could also understand Gon's unwillingness to give up.

"I'd rather die than to give up! But do you think I can tell him this?! Talking to him is the only thing I can do!"

Killua was silent but he was also worried. He was getting the urge to kill.

The girls, meanwhile, were feeling no better. Iris had her hands tightly on a fist. It was too tight that it wouldn't be strange if her hands started bleeding. Leila was biting her lip in worry. It was taking all of her self-control to stop herself from intervening in the match. Lastly, Eclair was furious. Hanzo was running second in her hate list and her grandmother was number one. Heaven knows how much she hated her grandmother.

Then everything just got worse. Hanzo broke Gon's arm.

Eclair was about to throw her dagger towards Hanzo when a hand stopped her.

"Let me go, Leila." Éclair seethed.

"If you intervene, Gon will be disqualified." The umpire announced.

"Please, Eclair. I don't like this as much as you do but..." Leila pleaded but her hands were trembling. Realizing that Leila was in no better state than her, Eclair let her hand down.

Iris, Leorio and Kurapika were reaching their limit. Iris hands bled, Leorio was threatening to intervene if Hanzo goes any further and Kurapika did nothing to stop him as his own feelings were beginning to overwhelm him.

Gon writhed in pain while Hanzo did a handstand. Like the blabbermouth he is, Hanzo was retelling his life story to Gon not aware that his story telling gave Gon time to recover. With a swift kick, Hanzo fell on the floor face first and when he stood up, blood was dripping from his nose. The whole scene turned around everybody's mood.

"Yeah! Gon kill him now!" Leorio cheered.

"Leorio, if he does that he will lose." Kurapika reminded.

"I let you kick me but..." Hanzo said.

"Liar!" Iris cut him off.

The mood became serious once again when Hanzo took out his weapon.

"Say 'I lose' or I will cut off your legs." Hanzo warned.

"That's not good...I don't want you to cut my leg but I don't want to lose. Let's fight another way."

Hanzo snapped. "No?! Don't you understand the situation?! I'll cut your leg. I'm serious!"

"If you do that, I'll bleed to death."

"Huh?"

"In that case, he would lose, right?" Gon asked the umpire.

"Yes" The umpire confirmed.

"You see, that won't be nice. Think about it."

By this time, some of the audience was laughing and amused.

"I can't believe you were this stubborn, Gon." Eclair commented as she felt the urge to smile.

Meanwhile, Killua was deep in thought. _'Nothing has changed! Gon is not any stronger...His broken arm is not better but...the bad atmosphere which was here...was gone in just a few seconds?!'_

Then the atmosphere turned tense again as Hanzo pointed his weapon on Gon's forehead making it bleed. They exchanged a few words and Hanzo noticed something in Gon's eyes.

"I give up. I admit I've lost. I will wait until the next match." Hanzo surrendered.

"No! Let's find another way to finish this fight!"

A tick developed on Hanzo's forehead. The two immediately argued and Gon was very stubborn till Hanzo couldn't take it anymore. With a strong punch to the gut, Hanzo knocked Gon unconscious. After confirming that he lost and Gon's victory, Hanzo went back to the audience only to have Eclair stand on his way.

"What?" Hanzo asked.

Without warning, Eclair kicked his shin hard.

"Eclair!" Leila exclaimed in surprise at what her friend did.

"Ouch! What the hell did you do that for?!" Hanzo clutched his damaged shin in an attempt to nurse it.

"Nothing. I just felt like it." Eclair coldly responded.

"Are you freaking serious?!"

"Oi, why did you lose on purpose?" Killua asked getting the other examinees attention.

"I didn't lose on purpose."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"When I torture someone, I expect that person to hate me forever but I couldn't find any hatred in Gon's eyes. Can you believe it? I broke his arm and he didn't at all! I guess...he won me over."

Gon was carried to another room to rest and the second match started. It was Kurapika versus Hisoka. They both exchanged hits for a while till Hisoka whispered something on Kurapika's ear. Kurapika's eyes visibly widened for a moment then Hisoka mysteriously admitted defeat making Kurapika the winner for the match.

Then the third match began…

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I am very sorry for this very late update...The schoolwork I had to do quite overwhelmed me for the past few weeks and add that with exams then it equals to a lot of nights drowning in caffeine. I couldn't really write well in such condition so this chapter got finished very very late.**

 **Fortunately, our break starts today so I'll be able to give more time for this fic. I might even post the next chap next week...Hopefully...**

 **Review!**

 **Reply:**

 **To The Otaku Lady Priya : Thank you very much for reviewing again! I'm glad that you liked the last chapter. And don't worry about Gon and Leila's _romantic unawareness._..I'll be dealing with that soon enough...and hopefully I'll be able to deal with it in the most amusing and entertaining way. And about that particular episode with Gon's date with Palm...Trust me...you weren't the only one that was surprised...it was one of the most amusing episode on the series for me! But I still decided to ignore that romantic part of Gon because one, I was too shocked about the development and two, the first initial plan of this fic was developed before I actually watched that certain episode hence Gon's denseness. Once again, thank you for the very encouraging review and your very welcome to review again anytime!**


	26. Chapter 26 Exam's Final Phase - Cont

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 26

Exam's Final Phase

(Continuation)

* * *

"Let the third match begin! Iris vs. Pokkle!"

Iris and Pokkle took their positions.

"I won't hold back because you're a girl." Pokkle said.

"You better not."

Iris started the match with a strong punch to Pokkle's gut followed by a kick that sent the guy flying.

' _Damn it. She's fast and unexpectedly strong.'_ Pokkle thought as he stood up. The girl was stronger than he thought.

The two of them exchanged hits for a while but Iris was landing more hits on Pokkle. Iris either dodged or blocked her opponent's hits.

' _She's gotten a lot stronger.'_ Netero thought as he observed his honorary granddaughter.

Then the match came to an end. In the exchange, Iris managed to knock Pokkle on the ground as she held his neck firmly on one hand and the other hand on the air threatening another fatal punch.

"You better give up now before I do more damage and you'll be at a disadvantage on your next match." Iris warned.

Pokkle sensed the girl's seriousness. She's totally capable of giving him more damage. He hates to admit it but the girl is clearly a lot stronger than him. Heck, he could barely even land a hit her. "I give up."

* * *

The fourth match began without further ado.

"Fourth match! Leila vs. Eclair!"

"I won't hold back, Eclair."

"Likewise, Leila."

Leila and Eclair took their places.

"Iris, who do you think will win?" Leorio whispered.

"Frankly, I don't know. Leila was trained by my aunt but Eclair also had some good skills." Iris responded.

"Either way, I think this will be a good match." Kurapika commented earning a nod from Iris.

Meanwhile, Killua was thinking of the girls. Well, in his very honest inner self, he wanted Leila to win. Leila was the girl closest to him and he cared for her the most out of the two girls but at the same time, he didn't want the dwarf to lose too badly. He may be reluctant to admit even with his inner self but their usual bantering had grown on him. They may argue every time they talk to each other but it's more of a routine for him to insult her than actual hate. Heck, he doesn't really hate the girl. The dwarf just happened to get on his nerves most of the time. Him, Leila, the dwarf and Gon spent a lot of time together and in the process they had gotten close to each other that the group wouldn't be the same if there was one member missing. The match was between a girl he possibly likes and a girl he apparently doesn't hate.

Back to the match, Eclair took out her throwing knives that she had strapped on her thigh before the match. She threw it at Leila accurately. Leila blocked the knives with her short sword but that was what Eclair was aiming for. With Leila a bit distracted, Eclair slashed her dagger horizontally on her stomach but Leila managed to step back in time. She got away with a rip on her blouse showing a bit of skin on her stomach.

"What's the matter, Leila? Is this all you can do?" Eclair taunted.

"I'm just getting started, Eclair."

With a swift movement, Leila attempted to slash Eclair's side but Eclair dodged it and moved away. Eclair took her remaining throwing knives and threw it Leila for another attempt of the tactic she tried earlier but this time Leila didn't block the knives with her sword. Leila ran and dodged it instead. Éclair followed while throwing a few more knives at her.

"Oi, Éclair! Watch where you throw those things! You almost killed me!" Leorio yelled. It seemed that Leila's avoidance of the knives had some unexpected consequences.

"I did?" Éclair smirked. "I must have improved then."

"The hell you did!" Leorio yelled back.

"Leorio, stop disrupting the match." Kurapika scolded.

"Why am I the only one getting scolded?!"

"Because you're the only one having a fuss about it." Kurapika replied in irritation.

"Wha-" Then another stray knife almost hit Leorio again. "Oi, Éclair!"

Éclair just stuck her tongue at Leorio like the brat she is then she stopped chasing at Leila and started to throw her knives at a single point instead. Leila continued running around then she suddenly stopped at one point and instead of dodging the knives left or right, she slid herself down the polished floor much to Éclair's surprise. The moment Leila reached Éclair she got her short sword ready to strike. Éclair immediately took a step backwards and a resounding clang echoed throughout the whole room as Éclair and Leila's weapons clashed.

Iris clenched her fists in excitement. The match just almost ended right there. Leila pulled out a surprising move which got Éclair lower her guard in a moment but Éclair's reaction was fast enough to counter it. She must admit the two of them were quite a good match.

Leila and Éclair broke their parry. They both pulled away and put a little distance away from each other. Then Leila noticed something on Éclair's dagger. She would have smiled at the little discovery but it would be disadvantage if she revealed it at the moment so Leila kept her face straight towards Éclair not betraying any of her thoughts.

"Not bad, Leila." Éclair smirked.

"Not bad, Éclair." Leila responded with a smile of her own.

As soon as the words left Leila's lips, Leila sprinted and started aggressively attacking Éclair on the front leaving Éclair no choice but to use her dagger to parry Leila's strikes. Their 'dance' continued for a while. Strike. Parry. Pull away. Strike. Parry. Leila was attacking Éclair fast and non-stop, never allowing Éclair to use her throwing knives anymore. The moment Éclair realized that staying on defense wasn't working anymore, she immediately turned to offense. She parried Leila's strikes while trying to strike Leila back. The two of them also gained cuts as their aggressive scuffle continued.

Then after a few more parries, Leila got what she was aiming for. Eclair's dagger broke. Eclair fell down on the floor in surprise and Leila immediately had her short sword pointed on Eclair's throat.

Both girls panted in exhaustion.

"I give up." Eclair declared.

Leila smiled and offered a hand. "That was a nice fight, Eclair."

Eclair took Leila's hand and stood up. "Whatever. Just remember you owe me a dagger." Eclair smirked. She may have lost but she lost fairly. Leila won fair and square and she'll be stupid if she actually let the result of the fight get on the way of their friendship.

"I'll keep that in mind." Leila smiled seeing that Eclair accepted her lose gracefully.

They had a fair fight and they were both satisfied at the result. There were no hard feelings.

Leila and Eclair moved back to the audience.

"That wasn't bad, you two." Killua complimented.

"Should I fear the end of the world because you complimented me, grandpa?" Eclair looked at Killua suspiciously.

"Shut up and accept it, dwarf. Don't worry, this will be the last time I'll compliment you. Finding anything to compliment you with is technically just one more step to impossible."

Eclair and Killua immediately started a death glaring contest.

Leila just sighed. "The two of you really don't change, huh..."

"Leila, you better change first...and congratulations. I knew you'd win." Killua said breaking his glare. He remembered the rip on the girl's clothes and it was exposing her skin in the way he didn't like others, well any guy other than him, to see.

"Thanks but yeah, I think I should go change." Leila agreed. "And Éclair, we better take care of our cuts."

Éclair nodded in agreement. Then they both went to another room to change and tend to their wounds after asking permission from Netero.

* * *

The next match was between Hanzo and Pokkle. Hanzo immeadiately begun his torture but unlike Gon, Pokkle couldn't take it for long and surrendered.

Then fifth match started. It was Bodoro versus Eclair.

"I give up." Bodoro declared.

"What's your reason, ossan?" Eclair asked.

"It's against my principle as a practitioner of martial arts to harm children let alone a girl."

"Hmmm...you saw my capabilities at the last fight, right? Are you sure, ossan?"

"Yes, your skills are admirable but it's still against my principles to fight you. I'll be winning my next match instead."

Eclair blinked. "Ok. So it's my win then, ossan."

Eclair then walked back to the audience.

"I thought you were stubborn." Iris teased.

"Nah. I just happen to have this really nice quirk that lets me be stubborn at the right place and at the right time." Eclair smirked.

* * *

Then the sixth match was between Pokkle and Killua. Killua confidently forfeited claiming that the fight will be boring. Then the seventh match followed. It was Hisoka versus Bodoro. They exchanged hits for while till Hisoka once again whispered something on Bodoro's ear. Bodoro immediately declared defeat after that.

Then the eighth match began between Gitarakur and Killua. Before the fight began, however, a voice very familiar to Killua called out to him.

"Kil, it's me."

Killua watched as Gitarakur took the needles out of his face. There were some strange movements on Gitarakur's face for a while till the transformation was done and it revealed a young man with long silky black hair.

"Aniki"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **How was the chapter? Were the matches alright? Were the fighting scenes alright?**

 **Please review and let me know what you thought about. :)**

 **I was actually a bit nervous writing this chapter because of the fight scenes and if you guys have any advice on how to improve it then I would greatly appreciate it.**

 **The next chapter is already on the works so it will probably be ready and posted by next week.**

 **Then I'd like to send my gratitude to Jeanojuju, Amesakura081 and Poosa-ard for the favorite and the follows.**

 **Reply:**

 **Reply to The Otaku Lady Priya : ****Thank you very much for the review and the little tidbits of information! I'm glad you thought that the last chapter was ok. Frankly, the last chapter wasn't so easy to write for me. I didn't even know how to start it or what to include so I ended up watching the episode again just to get through it. And your little tidbits of information really sparked my imagination especially the chocolate one. I might write some scenarios basing on it (the eyes and the chocolate). I don't know when I'll be able to write it though since the chapters from this chapter till the start of the heavens arena arc are already quite planned out. Thanks and always feel free to review again!**

 **PS. I was eating chocolate while posting this chapter. hehehe.**


	27. Chapter 27 Exam's Final Phase - Close

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 27

Exam's Final Phase

(Close)

* * *

"That's Killua's brother?" Leorio asked.

"Apparently, he changed his appearance with those needles so Killua wouldn't recognize him." Kurapika responded.

"Mum and Milluki told me you stabbed them?" Illumi asked Killua.

"Yeah… I did…" Killua replied but there was some kind of uneasiness in his voice.

"Mum was crying."

"Obviously! No mother wouldn't cry after receiving that kind of treatment from her own son." Leorio commented.

"It was tears of joy." Illumi said straightening out any misconceptions.

Iris raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Just what kind of parents did Killua have?

"She was crying in pride because you grew up so well." Illumi continued. "Mother told me to check up on you. But it was really a coincidence to see you here. I needed a hunter license for my next job and you just happened to enter the exam. I didn't know you wanted to be a hunter, Kil."

"I don't really want to be hunter. I just felt like taking the exam."

"That's reassuring. I could talk to you honestly now. You can't become a hunter, Kil. You're a killer not a hunter."

Killua froze and took a step back.

"You're just a dark passionless puppet. Inside you, you have no passion nor desire and the only pleasure you can feel comes from the death of people. It's how father and I raised you."

"But there's something I want…there's something I'd like to have!" Killua protested. He felt desperation welling up inside him.

"No, there isn't anything. You can't possibly want anything." Illumi argued using the same emotionless tone he's been using.

"Yes, there's something!"

"So tell me…what could you possibly want?"

Killua hesitated.

"There's nothing is there?" Illumi prodded.

"There is!"

"Well?"

"I want…I want to become friends with Gon… and Leila… and maybe even with that dwarf. I'm fed up with killing. I want to be with them and have fun like normal kid."

Leila's eyes widened while Eclair just stayed silent.

"That's impossible. You can't make friends, Kil. It's just simply impossible for you. The judgment you can only pass on is whether you can kill that person or not. You're just amazed by the three of them that's why you think you want to make friends with them. If you stay close to them, one day you will want to kill them because one day you'll ask yourself whether you could kill them or not. You're a natural born killer. That's what you are and that's what you will always be."

Killua clenched his hands into a tight fist.

Then suddenly a shout came from the audience.

"KILLUA NO BAKA!"

The yell brought Killua out of his stupor. He searched the audience and found Leila. It was the first time Killua ever heard Leila yell that loud.

"Killua no baka!" Leila repeated. "Don't just stand there! Don't listen to him! I don't care if he's your brother but he doesn't know what he's talking about! Don't believe in him! And stop being stupid! Aren't the four of us friends already?! At least…at the least that's what I've always thought! It's also definitely what Gon have always thought!"

Killua's eyes widened. "Leila…"

As if what Leila spoke wasn't enough, Éclair also said her piece. "You know it's hard for me to admit it, but a teeny tiny part of me already acknowledges you as a friend, you idiotic grandpa. So you better shut that stupid ears of yours and don't listen to that dumbass in front of you."

"Killua!" Leila called his attention again. "The four of us already friends! So…you don't have to wish for it…you already have the three of us!"

"You heard the two of them Killua! Go on! Beat him like you always do and pass the exam!" Leorio yelled.

"Now this is troublesome. So the three of you already consider Kil as a friend?" Illumi said putting a hand on his head as if he was contemplating a big problem. Then he straightened himself and nonchalantly declared: "Then I better kill all of you. An assassin doesn't need friends. I'll start with the two of you."

Killua stiffened. He's going to kill them. He's going to kill Leila and the dwarf. The Leila that he held hands with and the dwarf that he always argued with. Two of the people he always had so much fun with. Then why? Why can't he move?

Illumi approached Éclair and Leila that immediately put the two girls on guard. But before Illumi could go any further, Iris stood in front of him.

' _If he touches a single hair on Leila and Éclair, then promise or no promise, I'll activate and use that ability.'_ Iris glared at Illumi.

"Ri-chan, don't do anything rash!" Netero warned.

Illumi raised an eyebrow at the warning. He must admit that the blue haired girl is quite brave to stand on his way but does it really warrant that kind of warning? This girl must know something. Then suddenly, his vision of the girl was blocked and two men appeared in front of him. It was Kurapika and Leorio. The three girls were also their friends. They can't let any harm befall on them.

"Now this is a problem. If I kill any of you, I'll lose and Kil will automatically pass. Ah! It will also be the same if I kill any of those three." Illumi realized then he thought of something. "I'll just pass the exam first and kill all three of them."

Killua's still couldn't move. He stood frozen on his spot. He knew what his brother is capable of.

"Do you hear that, Kil? If you don't win against me…you won't be able to save Gon. Will you be able to fight for friendship?" Illumi turned to Killua. "No, you can't because all you can think now is whether you can kill me or not. So what will it be?"

Illumi then reached a hand towards Killua while slowly approaching him. He continued to speak to him and it was very obvious that Illumi's words were pressuring Killua.

"I give up... I lose..." Killua weakly declared.

Illumi patted Killua on the shoulder as if complimenting him. "I knew you wouldn't fight me and don't worry, I won't kill the three of them. I was just testing you." Illumi then moved in for a whisper. "Just as I thought, you can never make friends."

At that moment the match was finished and both participants went back to the side.

Leila immediately walked towards Killua's side and she was about to touch him when her eyes widened at the look of his eyes. It was empty. It lost the mischievous shine in it. It had nothing in it. It wasn't Killua anymore but only a shell of himself. Leila felt something inside her painfully break.

Eclair hatefully glared at Illumi. She wasn't lying when she said she had acknowledged the silver haired boy as a friend.

* * *

The tournament moved on and the next match was between Bodoro and Leorio but before the match even started something unexpected happened. A hand slid through Bodoro's body instantly killing him. The culprit was none other than Killua. The scene rendered everybody in the room speechless. Then without any other word, Killua went for the door to leave.

Leila immediately ran towards Killua and held his bloody hand. "Killua..." Leila stared into Killua's eyes in a silent plea yet all she ever saw was Killua's cold and empty gaze. Killua coldly shook her hand off and left.

Leila put her hands to her heart not bothering to wipe off the blood on her hand. Her knees collapsed and she fell to the ground. In the four years that she could only remember, it was the first time she ever felt something so painful rip into her entire being.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So... what do you think of the chapter guys?**

 **It got a little dramatic and I feel like I've been pushing my luck lately. First with the fighting scenes and now with the drama. I must admit I'm more used with humor than drama and I read more humor than drama so I guess I'm a bit insecure about the way I wrote the drama in this chapter. And I think I still have to push my luck with the drama next chapter and maybe for some other future chapters. But as much as I am uncertain and insecure about it now is as much as my desire to improve on those. I want to improve as I write this fic. Also, english is not my native language so I may still have a few problems with grammar other than the way I write on certain genres but I hope to see those mistakes and correct them as I write this fic.**

 **My rambling got a bit long... Sorry about that.**

 **So guys, if you spot some mistakes, don't hesitate to point it out and if you have suggestions for improvement, then I will really appreciate it. I will be glad to hear about your thoughts too so don't hesitate to review your thoughts about it!**

 **See you guys next chap!**

 **Reply:**

 **To** **IamAmazing326: Thank you for the encouraging review! You lifted the invisible weight of worry on my shoulders so thanks a lot for that. I'm glad you liked the chapter. It's always good to hear from you. Remember that you are always welcome to review again anytime!**

 **To The Otaku Lady Priya: Thanks a lot for reviewing! I actually blushed when I read your review. Tee hee~ I don't know about this fic being famous or well known but I always love it when this fic gains new readers. I got shy at the helping part since you already help me so much by reviewing. I'm glad you liked the action between Leila and Eclair! That scene took the longest to write. I had to rewrite the whole action four times till I actually got satisfied about it so I was glad to know that my effort was worth it. I also love reading your reviews and I'm always happy to reply! It's really fun to converse with you like this too so your reviews are always welcome! **


	28. Chapter 28 Tears for Resolve

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 28

Tears for Resolve

* * *

"Iris... Hey Iris, are you listening?" Leorio asked as he waved his hand in front of the far off look Iris had on her face.

It was just a few moments after the exam and after Killua left with his bloodied hands. The examinees were released from the room and they were free to roam until further notice. The rest of the group, except Gon, ended up on one of the lobbies of the building. Leila excused herself to go to the restroom and Eclair went with her. Kurapika volunteered to get drinks from the vending machine nearby which left Iris and Leorio together though Iris was apparently lost in her own thoughts. Leorio's been talking for quite a while and the girl hasn't responded even a single word on his speech.

"Leorio?" Iris snapped out of her thoughts.

"Are you ok? You've been spacing out." Leorio's eyebrows knitted in concern.

Iris gave a weak smile in response. "Of course, I'm fine. Why won't I be?"

"Are you sure?" Leorio focused his eyes on her in disbelief.

Iris chuckled softly at the gesture. Who knew Leorio could be a worry wart?

"Alright, I give up." Iris raised her hands in mock surrender followed by a brief bow done in amusement rather than sincere apology. "I give you my deep apologies, great old man Leorio. It was my greatest mistake to not give you my full attention as you deliver your wonderful speech."

Leorio snorted. "Now, that's the usual teasing Iris I know."

"Convinced?" Iris let out a teasing smile.

Leorio scrutinized the girl's smile and sighed. She was forcing it and she was really getting him worried. "Just a correction..."

"What?"

"I'm not an old man! I'm still in my teens, damn it!" Leorio glared at the girl as he played along.

"Leorio, you're disrupting public peace." Kurapika scolded as he approached the two, bringing drinks from the vending machine.

Iris giggled as she playfully went behind Kurapika's back as if shielding herself from Leorio. "Kurapika, protect me! The big bad old man is out to get me!"

Leorio glared at the girl but before he could do anything else, Kurapika's glare put him to a stop.

"Iris..."

Iris felt Kurapika's voice vibrate as she leaned on his back. "What is it, Kurapika?"

"You don't have to force it, Iris." Kurapika gently muttered. "We know."

Iris eyes widened. "You noticed?"

Of course, they noticed. Iris's feigned smiles were nothing compared to her real ones. Her real smiles were radiant and her eyes sparked with playful mischief and glee but now, her smiles lacked its usual radiance and her eyes showed something else. It was a lot obvious, particularly to the both of them, that her cheerfulness was anything but real.

"It's ok to let us worry, Iris. I...We are here for you." Kurapika felt Iris bury her face into his back. He felt her warmth permeating onto his back.

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to worry you but I just made you more worried, did I?" Iris weakly voiced out.

"Yeah, you did. We're your friends, you know. It's our right to worry about you and don't you dare take it." Leorio smiled as the girl finally admitted.

"Sorry...I guess I was so frustrated with myself." Iris admitted still not letting go of Kurapika. "I should've done something but in the end I couldn't do anything. I knew... I knew how painful it is to lose a friend and I just watched helplessly as Leila experienced the same thing. I..."

Kurapika turned his gaze to the ground. "Iris... It wasn't only you who couldn't do anything."

Iris bit her lip. She was an idiot. "I'm sorry."

Suddenly, another voice called out to Iris.

"Ri-chan, can I speak with you for a while?" Netero gently asked his granddaughter. It seemed like the boys were trying to comfort her.

Iris eyes widened at Netero's voice. Reluctantly, she removed herself from Kurapika's back and approached her honorary grandfather.

"Iris?" Kurapika looked at the girl in concern. Leorio also focused his gazed at her.

Iris let out weak smile to reassure the two of them. "I'll see you guys later."

* * *

The trek to Netero's office was a solemn one. Iris was lost in thought and Netero simply stayed silent. As they arrived at the office, Netero sat in the sofa instead of the chair behind his desk while Iris sat on a chair in front of him.

"Ri-chan, you do realize why I stopped you earlier, right?"

"I know... but Jii-chan... He was using nen... He was using his aura to pressure Killua... I..."

"There was nothing you could've done, Iris. You know you're not strong enough."

"Jii-chan..."

"I understand you're frustrated but Ri-chan...You may have awakened your nen when you were eleven but you're still inexperienced. I know that your parents decided to teach you only the basics till you pass the exam. You're not trained enough. You're no match for someone who's been fully trained and who's been using nen for a long time."

Iris's grip tightened as she remembered how she first awakened her nen. It was that night. That massacre that took so much of her. She doesn't remember it but somehow her awakened nen allowed her revenge. It allowed her to kill that murderer. Her parents taught her how to control it but they refused to teach her more till she passed the hunter exam. Nen was a powerful ability and her parents wanted her strong enough to handle it so they gave the condition as a test to measure her capabilities. She was supposed to take the exam two years ago but she met Gon and Leila. The warmth of the friendship that Gon and Leila gave her weighed more than her desire to get stronger. She delayed her own progress and decided to take the exam with them. She doesn't regret it though. If she did take the exam earlier, she wouldn't have met Kurapika and the others.

Thinking about it, Iris realized it was useless to mull over the things you can't change. It was already done. The present was all she had. "I understand, Jii-chan. I'm sorry for being so immature about it."

"I understand why you felt that way, Ri-chan. I know how you cared for your friends."

"Jii-chan..."

"Now Ri-chan, there's also another reason why I called you out here."

"What is it, Jii-chan?"

"I want you to promise me something."

"Promise what, Jii-chan?"

"Promise me that you won't use your nen in front your friends. They have to discover and learn about nen on their own."

"Why?"

"It's part of the exam, Ri-chan."

* * *

Leila let the events around her go pass without responding much about it. After the tournament, they were moved to another room where they were supposed to learn about their new benefits but what happened was a debate instead. They were debating about Killua's disqualification. Leila shut the noise out. She could care less about the disqualification. Killua could easily pass the exam if he takes it again. All she had in mind now, was the person itself. She was worried about him. She wanted him back. Where did he go? Is he ok? Will she ever see him again?

Leila suddenly felt a squeeze on her hand. It was Eclair. The red haired girl hasn't left her side since the incident. Leila was thankful for her constant presence. It reminded her that she wasn't alone. Iris was nearby too. Leorio and Kurapika also kept a close eye on her.

Suddenly, the door burst open. Gon entered the room and immediately went to Illumi. Leila and Eclair's eyes widened at the sight. He already probably heard about what had transpired. Gon was furious.

Gon gripped Illumi's wrist tightly and forced him out of his seat. Heated words were exchanged then Gon ended the debate with a few choice words. Then Beans gave a brief explanation about the benefits of having a hunter license then they were released from the room.

"Wait, tell me where Killua is." Gon said as he approached Illumi in the hallway.

"I'm assuming that's what those people behind you also want?" Illumi asked as his eyes went to the people standing behind Gon. The girls, Leorio and Kurapika were standing behind Gon.

"Yes, we do." Leila answered giving Illumi a cold look. It was the first time Leila was actually furious at someone.

"Well, he must have gone home." Illumi turned his back not wanting to deal with them any longer. "Kukuroo Mountain. That's where our residence is."

"Arigatou." Gon said then he left together with the others.

Then Illumi suddenly stopped and turned his gaze back to the group once more but this time it was more focused on the little black haired girl with the strange purple eyes. If he could recall, this girl was the one who actually tried to _literally_ hold his brother back. He thought back of the last few days of the hunter exam and noted that almost every time his gaze fell on his brother that particular black haired girl was always with him. It made him wonder just who really that girl was. Just what was she to his brother?

"You, girl, who are you to my little brother?"

"I think it's very obvious, Illumi-san." Leila firmly answered. "I'm his friend."

"Is that also what he thinks?" Illumi narrowed his gaze at the girl.

"Eh?" Leila was quite taken aback by the question.

Illumi immediately saw the confusion in the girl's eyes. "Never mind." He turned his back and continued to walk away from the group. His assumption may be wrong. No, it's actually quite better if he's wrong.

"What's with that guy?" Leorio said, quite displeased. "Of course, Killua also thinks you're his friend, Leila. Don't worry about it." Leorio patted Leila in the shoulder for good measure and Leila replied the gesture with an uneasy nod.

For some reason, Kurapika let out an exasperated sigh in the background and mumbled softly about 'bricks' and 'idiots'.

* * *

After checking out where Kukuroo Mountain is, they ordered six plane tickets towards the place. All of them decided to come. Gon and Leila were given to come since they wanted Killua back the most. Eclair, though still in a bit of denial, also wanted Killua back. Iris didn't want to leave the three kids alone and she wanted to help too. Kurapika and Leorio also wanted to help.

"I'll get my things from my room first then we can go." Gon said as he ran towards his room not wanting to waste any minute.

"Leila, go after Gon. I think he needs help." Eclair suddenly ordered.

"Eclair?" Leila turned to her friend in confusion.

"Just go."

Leila nodded and went after Gon.

"What's with you, Eclair? Suddenly, forcing Leila to go..." Leorio said.

"What else could I have done? I don't know how to comfort people." Eclair uneasily responded.

"Comfort?" Leorio looked at the girl, quite confused.

"Leila looked as if she was about to cry all this time... I don't know how to comfort her... I don't know what to do..." Eclair turned her gaze to the ground. "I just hope that if she could talk to Gon she'll feel better... I never really had a friend before so I don't know how to help her..."

Iris smiled fondly at Eclair and warmly hugged the girl from the back. "The two of you really became good friends, ne Eclair? And don't worry...you've done well. You helped Leila a lot. You stayed by her side and never left her alone. She had the strength to hold back her tears because you were there, Eclair. You supported your friend well."

Eclair felt a lump on her throat and held Iris's hand that was holding her small body. "Yokatta..."

Kurapika softly smiled at the beautiful sight in front of him. It was genuine friendship at its finest.

* * *

Gon entered the room and started gathering his things.

"Gon, do you need help?" Leila asked as she entered the room.

Gon turned to his friend about to refuse her help but when he actually saw her, he stopped. After all that happened, he never really had the chance to actually see Leila. He knew she was there but he didn't properly see her. He approached Leila and held both of her hands.

"Gomene, Leila..."

"Eh? For what Gon?"

"For not seeing you properly and for not noticing your tears."

"But I'm not-" Before she could actually deny it, Leila felt something wet fall down on her cheeks and it wasn't stopping.

"You don't have to hold anything back now, Leila."

Leila felt all the emotions she felt during the incident echo inside of her. Her knees went weak and she fell to the ground. She cried and let it all out. Gon immediately hugged her tight. She realized she had been holding it back. Eclair noticed and that's why she never left her side. Éclair noticed that's why she told her to go after Gon. She was really blessed to have Eclair as a friend. Leila cried and returned Gon's embrace.

"Gon...It hurts...It hurts a lot..." Leila continued to cry.

"Sokka..." Gon weakly responded.

"I was there yet I couldn't stop Killua from leaving... I was there yet I wasn't able to help him... I was there yet I couldn't do anything... I... I've never felt so helpless..." Leila sobbed into Gon's arms. "I felt so frustrated with myself, Gon... and it hurts... it hurts a lot... I've never felt anything so painful..."

"I understand, Leila but it's going to be alright." Gon cupped Leila's face and stared into her eyes. "We'll take Killua back. We'll see him again and we'll take him back. So after you let out all your tears, you can dry them all up. Everything is going to be okay so smile, Leila. Smile and Killua will definitely be happy when we see him again."

"Arigatou, Gon. Hontoni arigatou..." Leila tightened her embrace on Gon. "After this, I won't cry anymore. After this, I won't let anything like that happen again. Next time, I will definitely be strong enough to do something. I won't let myself feel like this anymore. I refuse to be that helpless girl who couldn't do anything but watch. I want to be strong enough to help... I want to be strong enough to save someone... I want to be strong enough to protect..."

"I know you will, Leila."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I am very sorry for this very late update. I had to put all of my efforts in schoolwork for a while. Most of my teachers assigned reports and there were also exams I had to study for. Sometimes, I wish I could just do what I want and let my grades fall to oblivion but I fear for the consequences and the more-than-an-hour sermon I'd get from my mother if I let my grades slip. I'm not a bad student but I'm not really a genius either so I really had to study even if I don't like it. Fortunately, Christmas break is here so I'll have more free time to think and write again.**

 **Another reason for the delay is that this chapter wasn't really easy to write and I had doubts on my initial plan probably because I had to put it aside for a while and it made me rethink some of the things I initially decided on. It's also one of those chapters that I'm not really sure how to proceed or how to write but in the end I made the decision after a not so few rewrites and edits.**

 **And as much as I don't like my characters to be presented as a weakling, the crying was actually necessary for her character development so I hope the crying and the little bit of drama didn't upset you guys.**

 **As usual, reviews are greatly appreciated and I would really like to know your opinions or reactions.**

 **Lastly, I'd like to thank the new readers for the follows and favorites since the last chapter and another big thank you for the readers who've been reading this fic from its debut until now.**

 **Thank you very much and advance merry christmas!**

 **Replies:**

 **To Redmirage31 : Thank you very much for the very encouraging review! I'm really glad you like it. And I'm happy to welcome you on board. Always remember to review again any time!**

 **To The Otaku Lady Priya: Wow... You know... as I write your reply, I realized that it's really been a while since I last did it. Hehehe~ I kinda missed this. You're review actually helped me with this chapter. When you said you were looking forward to Illumi's reaction when he finds out more about Leila and Killua's relationship, it made me realize that I neglected to really think about it before since, as I recall, Illumi doesn't appear much at this part on the anime, except maybe for the few flashbacks and I initially planned to elaborate on his reaction much much later. I thought about it a lot and decided this is quite a good time as any to write about his _first_ reaction and impression. So thank you very much! I'm real glad you liked the last chapter! And as always, you're reviews are always very welcome!**


	29. Chapter 29 To Kukuroo Mountain

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 29

To Kukuroo Mountain

* * *

"Gon, don't stick your head too much on the window. You'll lose your face." Eclair said as she sat beside Gon.

"Gomen, Eclair." Gon laughed in response.

"You're too excited for your own good, Gon." Eclair sighed.

Ever since they arrived at the Podokea Republic, Gon had been cheerfully looking at the scenery like a hyperactive kid. They are currently on a bus tour towards Kukuroo Mountain. The moment they entered the bus, Gon immediately pulled Eclair to sit beside him. Iris and Kurapika sat behind them while Leorio and Leila sat on the other side of the bus in line with Gon and Eclair's seat. Leila had actually fallen asleep sometime during their trip and the others didn't have the heart to wake her up. Leorio volunteered to carry her on his back so they ended up sitting beside each other on the bus.

"Ne Eclair, are you excited to see Killua again too?" Gon asked.

"Not really." Eclair nonchalantly answered.

"Ehhh...but Eclair..." Gon pouted.

"Don't pout and besides you should know by now that I don't do things I really don't want to do. You also didn't drag me here so I obviously came on my own accord. What other reason could I have in coming here with you other than to see that bratty grandpa? But just so we're clear, I'm not in the least excited to see him." Eclair closed her arms and looked away.

Gon chuckled. "Sometimes you're really not honest with yourself, Eclair."

"Shut up and I'm telling the truth."

"Uso"

"I'm not ly-" Eclair paused realizing the pitfall she might get herself into. "I'm not having this argument with you." She knew she can't win against Gon. For some reason she'd rather die than to admit, she is totally weak and helpless against Gon and his stubbornness.

"Why not, Eclair?"

"You'll just be stubborn about it till I agree."

Gon nodded happily. "I will definitely make you agree."

Eclair mentally sighed in relief. _'Thank goodness I actually managed to stop myself. Who knows what other things he could have gotten me to agree.'_

Then suddenly, Eclair felt something land on her shoulder. She turned and blushed after realizing what it was.

"What are you doing, Gon?"

"Watching the scenery outside." Ok, that was technically true but that wasn't what she wanted to know.

"No, what's your head doing on my shoulder?"

"Resting." That answer is quite obvious but...

"Why?"

"Because you're soft and comfortable." Shit. Just how could one sentence make her feel so embarrassed and a teeny tiny bit happy at the same time?

"I'm not a pillow, Gon." Eclair seethed. She was practically more embarrassed than happy.

"I know but you're still soft and comfortable and..." Gon turned his head and sniffed on Eclair's neck as if that was a very normal thing to do. "You smell really nice too."

Eclair burned. Gon's face buried on her neck and his breath tickling her skin were technically more than what she could take. She closed her hand into a fist and hit Gon on the head.

"Ouch! What was that for, Eclair?" Gon took his head from her shoulder and nursed his damaged head.

"Figure it out for yourself! Baka!"

Kurapika raised an eyebrow at the sudden commotion. Just what did Gon do? But before he could ask the two people sitting in front, a tug on his side caught his attention.

"Something wrong, Iris?" Kurapika turned his head to Iris who was sitting beside him.

"Those guys sitting at the back aren't exactly ordinary tourists, are they?" Iris asked.

Kurapika took a peek at the back and saw who Iris was referring to. There were two guys sitting on the back heavily armed with weapons. Kurapika turned his gaze to Iris again.

"Yes, they are. Those guys are probably on to something not definitely good." Kurapika confirmed.

"Do you think they are after the Zoldycks?"

"Possibly since this bus is headed to Kukuroo Mountain and the Zoldyck residence is quite famous."

When they arrived at the Padokea region, they realized that Killua was a Zoldyck. He was from an elite family of assassins and he lives at Kukuroo Mountain. It was quite easy putting the pieces together.

"Hey, miss beautiful!" A voice from the other side of the bus called out to Iris.

Iris turned her eyes to the source of the voice. It was a guy seated on the other side of the bus just directly aligned with her seat with Kurapika.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Iris asked in irritation. Unknown guys who usually call out to her by giving her nicknames like 'miss beautiful' are usually stupid skirt chasers that only wanted her because of her looks.

"No need to be feisty. I just want to talk. You know, it's quite rare to find a beauty like you and I'm not so bad looking myself. We're quite a match, don't you think?"

Iris eyebrow twitched in annoyance. _'Stupid narcissistic skirt chasers and their dumb pick-up lines.'_ The guy was reminding her of the similar annoying incidents she had gotten herself into in the past and its practically giving her a headache.

"Why don't you sit beside me instead and then we'll get to know each other during this ride?" The guy continued.

"I'm not interested. Find another girl to bother." Iris flatly refused.

"Come on, stop playing hard to get. I know you also want me." The guy smirked.

A tick mark developed on Iris's head. "Shu-"

"She already told you she's not interested so stop bothering her." Kurapika's voice interrupted Iris and it was dripping with hostility.

Iris eyes widened. _'Kurapika? What's gotten into him? Why does he sound so furious?'_

"Who are you and what gave you the right to butt in?" The guy argued.

"I'm not obliged to reveal my identity to a scum like you but just know that if you continue to bother her, I will personally deal with you." Kurapika glared at the guy. If looks could kill, the guy would be dead by now.

The guy trembled in fear. Kurapika's tone and glare was so full of hostility that it intimidated him but what actually made him scared was the red tint on Kurapika's eyes. He had never seen such red eyes filled with so much rage. It was like being glared by a demon.

Kurapika was boiling in rage. He wasn't a guy that would just watch the girl he likes being flirted by a perverted scum especially when she's clearly not interested. Iris was his and damn it all if he would just let any unknown guy with perverted intentions come near her or even talk to her. Well, technically Iris wasn't exactly his but she is still his friend and admittedly his romantic interest so he wouldn't let any guy near her anyway.

"Kurapika, are you ok?" Iris concerned voice broke Kurapika out of his thoughts.

"I'm fine." The red tint on Kurapika's eyes vanished as he turned to Iris. "Is it alright if we could exchange seats, Iris?"

Iris nodded and they both exchanged seats. "Gomene, Kurapika. I made you angry, didn't I?"

Kurapika shook his head. "It's not your fault, Iris. But just remember to let me know if any guy tries to bother you again."

"Why?"

"I will personally deal with them and I will make it so that they won't ever talk to you again." Kurapika gave her an assuring smile.

Iris blinked. She was very confused. _'Since when did Kurapika become so hostile with flirts and skirt chasers?'_

The bus stopped and the passengers were let down the bus to inspect the site more closely. They had arrived at Kukuroo Mountain and in front of them was a huge gate that blocked further entry towards the Zoldyck residence. The two heavily armed men immediately demanded entry. They went for the old man that stayed in what looked a guard house and roughly took his key.

The two men used the key to enter the locked door on the side. Then suddenly screams were heard and a huge paw carried the skeletons of the two men outside. The paw dropped the skeletons and retreated inside. Immediately the other tourists panicked and went inside the bus in fear but Gon and the others remained in front of the gate.

"Hey, the bus is leaving. Come on and go inside the bus." The tour guide called from the bus.

"It's ok. Our stop is here. Thank you for the ride." Gon said as he waved cheerfully.

With one last strange look from the tour guide, the bus left.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I am very sorry for the delay. I really planned to update a week after the last chapter but I had some family problems - if you could actually classify it like that. Long story short, I had a fight with my brother, shoved him when I lost control of my temper, broke one of my mother's useless-I mean decorative jars-, and got grounded for a month with my internet privileges revoked. I was upset and frustrated. At first, I was the stupid teenager who was mourning about the injustice of it all but after I cooled down, I finally admitted and accepted that apart of the incident was actually my fault. Not all of it. My brother clearly had a hand in the incident but it was me who lost my temper. My patience is usually high and I rarely lose control but I was suffering from a bad day and my brother just really tipped the scale.**

 **My punishment got lifted about a week ago but I needed to calm my internally screaming anime heart with all the updates and the new anime I missed during the dark days. I really just had to watch those episodes first. But don't worry, I didn't waste my time just mourning my revoked privileges. I actually wrote a lot and I'm quite ahead of a few chapters but this fic will still be on weekly updates like before since, in my case, a week could be the difference that could make a bad chapter into a good one with less typos, good-enough-grammar and last minute added content.**

 **That's it for my rant.**

 **Thank you for reading. The rant and most especially the chapter. Look forward to the next chap next week.**

 **As always reviews would be wonderful and it would really be a good motivation for me.**

 **Happy Valentines and may your love lives or the non-existence of it be celebrated on this day!**

 **Replies:**

 **To the Otaku Lady Priya: Thanks a lot for the review! I was quite surprised when I read it. Chapter 28 was actually one of the chapters I was uneasy about because, as I've probably mentioned somewhere in this fic, I'm not very confident when it comes to drama but with your review I'm relieved that I managed to pull through. And that chapter won't be the last of the drama. Your review really boosted me up! **


	30. Chapter 30 Through the Gate

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 30

Through the Gate

* * *

The group of six was inside guard office talking with Zebro.

"I see...so you are Killua-bocchan's friends." Zebro said after the six introduced themselves.

"Yes, we met in the exam." Leila confirmed with a smile.

Zebro smiled back. "I'm glad that Killua-bocchan made a lot of good friends but I'm sorry. I simply can't let you in."

"Why not, ossan?" Eclair asked.

Then suddenly Eclair felt a light pain on her head. Turning around, she realized that Iris just chopped her head.

"Be polite, Eclair." Iris scolded.

Realizing her mistake, Eclair turned to Zebro. "Gomenasai, Zebro-san"

Zebro laughed. Killua did really have good friends. "No, it's fine. I'm rather old now anyways."

"Zebro-san, why can't you let us in?" Gon asked.

"Gon-kun, you saw that humungous arm, didn't you? That arm belonged to the family's guard dog, Mike. It attacks every intruder that it sees." Zebro answered.

"Then how are you fine entering the premises, Zebro-san?" Iris asked.

Upon Iris's question, Kurapika's eyes widened in realization. "The real door doesn't require any key."

"That's right, young man." Zebro took a key from his pocket and showed it to everyone. "This key is made for intruders. We deliberately added a locked door to the side so that the intruders would stop trying to damage the gate. The plan is to have the intruders take the key from me and Mike eats them."

"Then Zebro-san, does that mean you're not..." Iris trailed off.

"Yes, it's just as you guessed. I'm not a guard. I am just a servant who cleans up after Mike." Zebro responded.

"So you mean, we need to enter through that huge gate?!" Leorio exclaimed in disbelief.

After that statement, they went outside the office to attempt to open the gates. Leorio tried first but even with all of his strength, the gate didn't even budge.

"Can I try it, Leorio?" Iris suddenly asked.

"Iris? Why? I mean, I used all of my strength. How could you even..." Leorio looked the girl in confusion.

"Don't worry. I had training, Leorio." Iris assured. "I just don't know if it's going to be enough."

"Alright. Just don't push yourself too much." Leorio reluctantly consented.

Iris nodded and approached the gate. She placed a hand on each door and then she pushed with all her might. Unexpectedly, the door did budge but it was just too heavy for Iris. The door just opened just a little bit before it shut and knocked Iris back. Hard. Iris prepared her back for the inevitable impact on the hard ground but something, or rather, someone caught her before she fell. A pair of arms was wrapped around her waist to stabilize her and she felt the warmth of a person's body on her back.

"Iris, are you ok?" It was Kurapika's voice.

Iris blushed and her heart went crazy. It happened again for the second time. The only difference was during the first time, Kurapika had only one arm wrapped her body but now it's two. She was closer to him than she was before.

"I'm fine...I just didn't think that the force would knock me back that hard."

"I know you didn't anticipate it but it did. You could've hurt yourself." Kurapika scolded but his voice was laced with obvious concern.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to be more careful next time." Iris responded weakly. The heat still remained on her cheeks and her heart was still beating like crazy.

Kurapika still didn't let go though. On the contrary, he held her tighter. Damn it. Her heart's gonna pop out of her ribcage.

"Promise?" Kurapika asked.

Iris couldn't do anything but nod. A few more seconds in this position and her heart's not gonna make it. Fortunately, Kurapika finally let her go. Iris sighed in relief. Miraculously, her heart did make it.

Then Iris heard someone cough to get their attention. It was Leorio. Iris blushed in embarrassment. It finally occurred to her. This time, they were not alone. Iris looked at the other spectators. Eclair was grinning teasingly at her, Zebro had his usual smiling face, Gon just innocently looked at them and Leila...

"Sugoi!" Leila exclaimed. "How did you manage to do it, Iris?"

Thank goodness for Leila's natural cluelessness.

Iris composed herself and responded to Leila to escape the awkwardness of the situation. "Dad once gave me a training menu to increase my strength. I guess it wasn't enough. Sorry about that, Gon, Leila. I thought I could at least get the two of you inside but I guess... I wasn't just strong enough."

Gon shook his head. "Don't apologize, Iris. You did your best to help us. Arigatou." Gon gave Iris a grateful smile.

"Gon's right, Iris." Leila also smiled at the girl.

Iris smiled back. She really had good friends.

"So...what do we do know?" Leorio asked.

"I'm not leaving here till I see Killua." Leila stubbornly declared.

"I won't leave either." Gon announced.

Kurapika, Iris, Leorio, and Eclair just sighed. Now they've got two stubborn mules on their hands.

"I guess I could try and contact someone from the inside." Zebro said.

Zebro went back to the office and the others followed. Zebro used the phone and contacted the butler of the Zoldyck family. He informed the butler of the situation but he was scolded in response. Gon asked to use the phone and talk with the butler. Gon's first attempt didn't go so well. The butler just told Gon that Killua had no friends and hung up. Gon snapped and yelled on the phone during his second attempt. It made no difference though. The butler still didn't give his consent. Gon put the phone back.

"I don't like it." Gon declared. "I just want to see my friend. Why do I have to be tested?"

Gon went in front of the gate, took his fishing rod, swung it above and began climbing up the wall. The others, except Leila, immediately tried to convince Gon to stop.

Leila, meanwhile, approached Zebro.

"Zebro-san, please let us borrow the intruder's key." Leila pleaded.

"I can't. Mike will kill you." Zebro refused.

"Please, Zebro-san!" Leila bowed in desperation.

Leila's action caught the others attention. Gon went down from the wall and observed the scene with the others.

"But..." Zebro hesitated.

"Please..." Leila begged. "At that time, I couldn't do anything for Killua." Leila clenched her hands into fists. "But this time...Please, Zebro-san... Please give us the chance to see our friend again."

"Raise your head, young girl." Zebro gently said. "I will let you use the key."

Leila straightened herself up and smiled gratefully. "Arigatou, Zebro-san."

"But I will go with you inside." Zebro stated.

"Eh? Won't you get into trouble for doing that, Zebro-san?" Gon asked.

"I might but if I let Killua-bocchan friends get eaten by Mike, then I will still get in trouble." Zebro replied.

"We're sorry for putting this on you, Zebro-san." Leila apologized.


	31. Chapter 31 Training and a Restless Night

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 31

Training and a Restless Night

* * *

After opening the gate once more, Zebro led the group towards the servant's quarters. On the way, the group met Mike. Zebro asked Gon if he could fight against Mike and Gon honestly answered that he was scared of it. Leila also shuddered when she saw the creature. It was nothing like any animal she had ever seen before. Mike's eyes terrified her. It wasn't the eyes of an animal. It was more like the eyes of a machine that only followed its master's orders.

The group walked on and they finally arrived at the servant's quarters. Zebro opened the door for them and the group immediately noticed how heavy it was.

"I'm back, Sequant." Zebro greeted another man inside the house.

"It's rare for you to bring guests, Zebro." The man, Sequant, responded.

"We're sorry for intruding." Iris said politely as a form of greeting.

"Nah, it doesn't matter. You all must be special to win Zebro over." Sequant replied. "Make yourselves at home though that won't be that easy in this house."

Zebro instructed the group to sit and after that they told Sequant their circumstances.

"You want to see Killua-bocchan? Now that's something I don't hear every day." Sequant was genuinely surprised. "Then let me tell you just one piece of advice. Give up and go home."

"I somehow understand that I won't be able to meet Killua that easily but I don't plan on giving up." Gon stubbornly declared. "When Killua was having a hard time, I wasn't there for him. Killua is my precious friend. I won't leave till I meet him."

"I won't give up too." Leila clenched her hands on her lap. "At that time...I was there...I was there yet I couldn't do anything. I couldn't do anything for Killua...Killua is a very important person to me and I don't intend let that happen again."

The group went silent. Kurapika, Leorio and Iris turned their gazes to the last member of the quartet. It wasn't only Gon and Leila who was particularly close with Killua. There was Eclair too.

Feeling the gazes towards her, Eclair looked back at them. "What?"

"Anything to say, Eclair?" Iris teasingly grinned at the red head.

Eclair averted her eyes. "Nothing...really..."

This time, Leila and Gon turned their attention at Eclair too.

"Eclair?" Gon stared at Eclair curiously then sensing her discomfort, he took her hand in his and gave it gentle squeeze.

Meanwhile, Eclair's defenses just crumbled to the ground. _'Damn it, Gon.'_

Eclair sighed in defeat. "Alright...fine...I was frustrated too. We may bicker and insult each other every time we meet but I still...I still kinda considered that annoying white haired grandpa as my friend."

"You're quite the tsundere, aren't you Eclair?" Leorio commented in amusement.

A tick mark immediately developed and the next moment Leorio found himself in pain from Éclair's prompt elbow jab.

Kurapika sweatdropped at the scene while Iris, who was sitting beside him, was unsuccessfully trying to hide her giggles.

"Then why don't all of you train here for a while?" Zebro suggested.

"Train? What do you mean, Zebro-san?" Leila looked at the old man curiously.

"You see, it's okay for three people to open the testing gate together and with that you can pass through the gate fairly and Mike won't attack you." Zebro explained. "There are six of you and you could divide yourselves into two groups. With three people on each group then opening the gate won't be impossible if all of you could train here for a while."

"Gon, what do you think?" Iris asked giving Gon a confident look.

"I still don't like being tested...but if there's no other way..." Gon said.

"Let's do it, minna. I may be overstepping my bounds but..." Leila hesitated.

"Leila, I already told you I'd help and there's just no way I'm leaving the three of you here." Iris declared.

"Three of us?" Leila asked Iris in confusion.

"You'll stubbornly stay here, won't you Eclair?" Iris smirked as she turned to Eclair.

"Whatever." Eclair stubbornly averted her eyes. "It's just something I already decided on and I always do what I want."

"Just admit you sincerely want to help Gon and Leila and just admit that you want to see Killua as much as those two." Leorio mocked the girl in amusement.

Eclair glared at Leorio and obstinately declared. "I'll agree with the first statement but never the second."

"Dishonest brat." Leorio scoffed.

"Goofy old man." Eclair retaliated.

"I'm still in my teens! Damn it!" His age, in comparison to his looks, has always been a sensitive issue for him.

"Leorio, control yourself." Kurapika scolded then he turned to Leila and Gon. "I'll stay here and help too."

"Is that ok, Kurapika?" Gon asked.

"You're our friends and you want to see your friend. It's only right for us to help you." Kurapika sincerely replied.

"Kurapika's right." Leorio agreed. "And you can obviously count on my help too."

"It's settled then." Iris smiled then she turned to Zebro. "Looks like we'll be in your care for a while, Zebro-san."

Zebro nodded in agreement.

* * *

After the conversation, Zebro immediately started their training. Zebro gave them weights for them to wear on their torso. They had difficulty moving at first. Then they discovered that the things, the furniture, the utensils and the doors were much, much heavier than they normally are. And so days turned into a week and their training went along nicely. Now, they were mostly used to the weights and the heavy things in the house. Their training became more intense as the days went by but they also got stronger too.

It was that night, a week after their training started, that Leila couldn't sleep. She was tired and she was a bit sore from the training earlier but for some reason, she couldn't sleep. She turned in her bed. She sighed and concluded that it was quite useless to stay in bed any longer. So she left her bed and left the bedroom altogether. She went outside and sat on the bench just in front of the house. Leila turned her gaze towards the mountain where the Zoldyck mansion was supposed to reside. To think that Killua was just so close yet she couldn't even go near him. During the hunter exam, things were much simpler. To see Killua, all she had to do was walk and approach him then they'd talk and maybe share a few smiles then Gon and Eclair will join them and they'd have fun together as usual. All four of them. Her heart ached for those peaceful times.

Then Leila heard a creak and the next moment Iris came out from the front door.

"Can't sleep, Leila?" Iris took out Leila from her thoughts. Iris approached Leila and sat beside her. "Now, that's rare. I happen to remember that you're quite fond of sleeping and oversleeping."

Leila blushed in embarrassment and pouted. "Well that's..."

Iris chuckled. Then silence enveloped them again.

"We'll definitely see him again, you know." Iris broke the silence.

"..."

"So don't push yourself too much."

Leila's eyes widened and she sharply turned to Iris. "You...noticed..."

Iris gave Leila a scolding look. It was a serious look that Iris often doesn't wear. "Push yourself too much and you'll definitely collapse soon enough, Leila. You've been training too hard these past few days and I know it's more than what you can normally bear."

Leila took her knees in her arms and buried her face. "I don't want to."

"Leila! Listen-"

"I want to get stronger, Iris. Much more stronger than I used to be. That incident made it painfully clear, Iris. I'm too weak. I couldn't even do anything for someone I've considered important to me. Too weak that you even have to risk your life and defend me when Killua's brother made that threat. I was too weak to even protect myself."

Iris eyes softened. She never knew that incident affected her this much. "Leila..."

"Your aunt may have trained me before but I never really aimed to get stronger. I trained under her because it was fun. Learning the techniques was fun. Handling different weapons was fun. I had no reasons other than that and the only reason I had was naive. Too naive."

"That, I could agree. Yes, your reasons were naive and in turn you were also naive."

"I've already accepted that but as expected it still kinda hurt for you to actually point it out." Leila gave Iris a weak smile.

Iris smiled back. "I highly doubt that you'll actually use this as an excuse but remember that you also had a reset four years ago, Leila. As far as you're memories are concerned, you have only lived for four years. You've lived far shorter than any of us. You had a reset and you started from a blank slate four years ago. You couldn't read, you couldn't write and heck...you couldn't even speak. By the time I met you at Whale Island two years ago, you could already speak but you had no concept of grammar and your speech were mostly broken."

"Now, you're just embarrassing me."

"What?" Iris gave Leila an innocent look. "I was about to praise you."

"Eh?"

"Just a praise for making it this far. You could speak perfectly now. You could read fast enough to finish a thick novel in a week and your penmanship now is a lot better than mine."

"I think that if I couldn't do any of that, you're partly to be blamed, Iris. You're my teacher, aren't you?" Leila grinned. She may have said it this way but she was truly grateful to Iris. She wouldn't have come this far without Iris's help.

"Too true." Iris sighed. It was just a whimsical decision made at that time but she did actually taught Leila how to read and write. "But whatever, to end this pep talk, let me just tell you this: You have matured, Leila. You acknowledged your weakness and you now have the desire to get stronger to protect yourself better and in turn have the ability to protect all those you want to protect. And that is one excellent proof that you have gotten stronger. Not just physically but also mentally. That little heart of yours' has gotten stronger, Leila. Be proud of that."

"Wow...Iris..." Leila looked at Iris in amazement. "You could really say something good once in a while."

Iris glared. "That 'once in a while' is totally unnecessary."

Leila giggled in response and then she gave Iris a sweet and sincere smile. "Thanks, Iris. For a poorly constructed pep talk, you actually managed to cheer me up a lot."

Iris smiled back. "You cheeky little brat. But I'm still not letting you train too much."

"Hai, hai." Leila had really no other choice but to agree.

* * *

Eclair opened the door towards the backyard and as expected, the sight of Gon training with his only functional arm greeted her. They actually forbid Gon to train for a while since one of his arms was still encased in a sling. That stupid baldy Hanzo broke his arm and it's still not fully healed. Eclair highly doubted that Gon would obey them but she just only confirmed it a few nights ago when she accidentally saw him through one of the windows in the house. She was about to stop him when she saw the determined look on his face and she immediately knew that she'll lose before she even started. Besides, she's the one who couldn't resist Gon and not the other way around. She had no choice but to let him continue his own self-training. She never stopped checking on him night after night though. She would usually just gaze at him through a window but this time, for some reason, her feet subconsciously brought her to the backdoor.

"Eclair?" Looks like Gon actually spotted her.

"Are you stopping training for tonight, Gon?" Eclair asked. There was no reason to hide anymore.

"I still plan on continuing..." Gon trailed off and then it hit him. "Eh? You knew?"

"Gon, if you must know, there are actually a lot of windows in the house that showed a clear view of the whole backyard." Eclair responded impassively.

"Gomen." Gon looked down guiltily.

Eclair didn't respond and just headed for a tree just a few steps away from Gon. She sat down, leaned her back to the trunk and took her PSP from her pocket. Gon, meanwhile, just stared at Eclair.

"I did not come here to stop or scold anyone, Gon. I just wanted some fresh air and some place to play without bothering anyone in the house." That wasn't exactly the truth. She was just here to check up on Gon again but since Gon already spotted her, it was a convenient excuse for her to stay at the backyard with him.

Gon grinned. He didn't need to be told twice. Though she expressed it in her most Eclair-ish way, Eclair definitely gave her permission for him to continue. And continue he did. He started his push-ups once again and he continued his training.

Approximately a half hour later, Gon had enough. He took off his weights and turned his attention to Eclair to invite her back inside. But when he gazed at her, something in him held him back from speaking out. Gon lost himself in his thoughts as he stared at the girl. Eclair had her whole concentration on the little thing on her hand again and it reminded Gon of their first meeting. They met at the first phase of the exam and they've been together ever since. Eclair was the third girl he closely befriended but somehow Gon felt something that was quite different from what he felt for Leila and Iris. It was just small things like having the urge to touch Eclair and hold her hand often. He liked her presence nearby that's why he usually dragged her with him most of the time and getting to hold her hand was a really good bonus. Then he remembered the first time he was actually parted away from her during their time in the trick tower. He immediately realized how much he missed her the moment he saw her again. It overwhelmed him so much that he actually hugged her without really thinking about it. He might have actually persuaded Eclair to come with him here if Eclair didn't choose to come of her own accord. But what about after they meet Killua? Eclair had a goal of her own and he had his own goals too. Will they actually part ways? Gon found out that he didn't like it. He did not like it at all.

Without really thinking anything else, Gon wordlessly approached Eclair and sat in front her. Eclair noticed him.

"Are you done with your training for tonight, Gon?"

Gon didn't respond but Eclair took his silence as a yes so she put her PSP back in her pocket. She was about to stand up when Gon moved and suddenly engulfed her in a hug. Eclair blushed. What's gotten into him all of a sudden?

"Gon, let go..." Eclair weakly muttered through her heated cheeks and her loudly beating heart.

"I don't want to." Gon said as he tightened his embrace.

"Gon...let go..." Eclair repeated.

"No...If I let you go now, I feel like you'll go somewhere else. Somewhere far away where I won't be able to see you anymore."

"What are you talking about, Gon? I'm not going anywhere."

"You will. After this, you'll be going somewhere, right? I don't want to be apart from you, Eclair."

Eclair's eyes widened. So that's what he's been talking about. Then it finally occurred to her. Originally, after the exam, she'd be going off on her own to find the game: Greed Island. Her main objective was to be able to play the game but then she met Gon, she met Leila, she met that white haired grandpa and now here she was. For the first time, Eclair actually returned Gon's embrace.

"I think I'd still be with you for a while, Gon. I still have no idea where to look for the game I wanted so maybe...just maybe...I'll stick with you till I do have a clue where to look for it..."

"Really?" Gon's tone expressed his delight.

"I said 'maybe', Gon."

"It's more than enough, Eclair." Gon embrace on her tightened if that was even possible.

Meanwhile, Eclair was having her own inner battle. Why on earth did she say that? Didn't she want to play that game as soon as possible? What happened to that desire of hers? Did it fade? No...That's not it. It did not fade at all. There was just another desire bubbling inside of her. Her heart has subconsciously wanted something without her actually noticing it. Her mouth may tell a hundred lies but her own heart was honest to a fault. It was too honest that even, she, herself had a hard time controlling and covering it up. And her heart wanted to be with Gon. Did she actually have a crush on Gon like what that old man said? Or was it actually much deeper? No, no, no. That can't be. It just can't be possible. But as Gon held her tight, she began doubting it too. No. Being too near with Gon was just making her think so irrationally. Yes, that's it.

"I already assured you so...Gon, let go..." She said as weakly as the first. "You're sweaty and...you stink."

Gon immediately let Eclair go. He comically sniffed himself and found out that Eclair wasn't exactly lying. "Gomen, Eclair." He wasn't sorry he hugged her but he was sorry for being sweaty and stinky while he did so.

With the blush still present on her cheeks, Eclair stood up and unknowing grabbed Gon's hand. "Let's go back inside. It's getting colder."

It was too late when Eclair actually realized what she did. She loosened her grip and tried to let go in embarrassment. Keyword: tried. Gon grinned and tightened his hold on her hand before she could actually let go. And this time he took the lead as he dragged a blushing Eclair inside the house.

Eclair was once again lost in her thoughts _._

 _'I don't have romantic feelings for Gon. No, that's just not possible.'_

She repeated that statement on her mind as they walked but somehow, the more she did it, the more that it felt like a lie to deceive her own honest heart.

* * *

 **Authors Note:**

 **So how was the chapter? This chapter is mainly for the training and for Leila and Eclair. Leila for her character development and Eclair for her first steps in the romance department: questioning her own denial. I really, really hope that you found this chapter enjoyable enough.**

 **I felt really inclined to ask since this is practically the longest chapter I've ever written so far. It surprisingly reached 3000 words. I really hope you guys don't mind the irregular length of my chapters. I tend to separate chapters by events and not by number of words so the length of chaps are irregular.**

 **And reviews would be wonderful! I would love it if I could hear(read) from you guys!**

 **Thank you for the favorites, for the follows and for reading!**


	32. Chapter 32 Near

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 32

Near

* * *

"1, 2, 3!"

The heavy gate opened as the strength of three girls combined. Finally inside, the girls joined the three boys already on the other side.

"You really did it! I never knew these two little girls could be this strong." Leorio grinned as he playfully ruffled Leila and Eclair's hair.

"Leorio, you're messing up my hair." Leila complained.

"Don't call me little, ossan." Eclair glared.

Leorio just brushed off the insult and continued to grin though he did actually stop ruffling the girls' hair. He was just happy and proud of the two. Leila and Eclair were technically the smallest and the shortest of the group and adding the fact that they were also girls, what they did was actually quite impressive.

"Those two really worked hard, you know. Was there actually any doubt?" Iris proudly declared.

"That they did." Kurapika agreed then he turned to Iris and smiled. "But you also worked hard, didn't you Iris?"

Iris blushed and shyly smiled back. For some reason, it made her a little bit happy that Kurapika actually noticed her efforts. Iris was quite busy with her own thoughts that she didn't notice a certain someone looking fondly at her.

' _You're really quite something, Iris.'_ Kurapika complimented the girl silently in his thoughts.

Iris may have hidden it quite skillfully but Kurapika noticed it and he knew. After the training they just had, Iris already gained the strength to open the gate on her own but instead she held her strength back and became the balancing beam that supported Leila and Eclair. Kurapika could certainly guess her reason. It was solely for the growth of those two younger girls. She probably wanted those two to have more confidence of their own capabilities and so she stepped back in the shadows and let the two girls shine. It was quite obvious how much Iris cared for Leila and Eclair.

"We passed the testing gate, minna." Gon announced. "And now..."

"We're now one step closer to Killua, ne Gon?" Leila said.

Gon turned to Leila and nodded in agreement. They are now truly one step closer towards Killua.

* * *

 _Killua stared at the night sky as he lied on the soft grass. It was a peaceful night. The moon was bright and the dark sky was filled with stars. There wasn't much any noise other than the rustling of the leaves against the cold breeze. Then suddenly a face that he considered quite pretty blocked his vision of the sky._

" _I didn't know you liked stargazing, Killua." A feminine voice said._

" _There wasn't much to look at in this island, Leila." Killua answered._

" _Hmmm... is that so..." Leila smiled and Killua blushed a bit as he realized that their faces were quite close. "But it's not bad, isn't it? Looking at a star filled night sky."_

" _I guess so..."_

 _Leila giggled. Then suddenly Leila innocently laid her head on his chest and then she too stared at the night sky. Killua's blush turned redder. The girl may not think that her actions were not a big deal but it was for him._

" _Leila, what do you think are you doing?"_

" _Using you as my pillow."_

" _Why?"_

" _Because you're conveniently more comfortable than the ground." At this, Leila grinned teasingly at him._

 _His heart skipped a beat. Damn it. The girl had really no idea how much she affected him. In revenge, he encircled his arms around her, consequently pulling the girl closer, then he covered her eyes with his hand. Then the next moment Leila's two hands held his as she tried to unsuccessfully pry them off._

" _Killua! I can't see anything!" The black haired girl complained._

" _Your fault, your punishment."_

" _Punishment? Since when did I commit a crime and what crime did I even commit?"_

 _If he actually answered the question honestly, he would say that her crime was being too pretty and being unknowingly innocent of the consequences of her actions towards him. But he's Killua and he was not what you would call an honest person. So, in the end, he just responded:_

" _I'm not a pillow."_

" _Eh? But it's not the first time I did this and we are sleeping beside each other anyway, what's the big deal if I just lay my head on your chest?"_

'It's messing up my sanity.' _He wanted to say that but again he chose silence._

" _I don't know what's with you, Killua but I did this with Gon a lot of times and he never complained, you know."_

 _Killua stopped at the mention of Gon. There was that ugly feeling again. He couldn't really identify it before but now he clearly knew. This was the first time he acknowledged it for what it was: it was jealousy. He was jealous of Gon. He was jealous of the time he spent with her. He was jealous of the things Gon and Leila did together. Why was he jealous? He doesn't clearly know at the moment. But nevertheless, whether he clearly knew the reason or not, he still felt jealous and that did not change._

 _Killua loosened his hand and let it fall from her eyes. Leila stopped struggling as she got her vision back._

" _Leila, what is Gon to you?"_

" _Eh? Why do you ask?"_

" _No reason in particular. I just want to know."_

" _Gon is a very important person to me."_

 _Killua felt something ache inside him. "Is that so..."_

 _Leila continued. "He is the first friend I ever had and he's like a brother to me."_

 _He suddenly felt hopeful. "Like a brother? Is that all he is to you?"_

" _Yeah. What else would he be? We lived in the same house for four years and we were raised like siblings."_

 _He felt...elated. Why? Again, he doesn't know. It was another question he should think about. "But you spent a lot of time with Gon, right?"_

" _Well...of course. But I spent a lot of time with Iris too since she arrived on Whale Island two years ago." Then he saw Leila's eyes widen. "Ah! I just realized that I haven't been spending a lot of time with Gon or Iris lately. Killua, I think... I've been spending most of my time with you."_

 _His eyes also widened. Now that he thought about it, he had been spending a lot of time with her. "Why? Is it bad spending time with me instead?"_

" _Of course not." Then Leila smiled that sincere smile of hers again. "I like spending time with you, Killua."_

 _His eyes softened and he felt his lips twitch upwards. "Really? You're not just saying that because you're with me, are you?"_

 _The girl looked at him in confusion. "Eh? I was just being honest. I like spending time with you. I like spending time with everyone."_

 _Tsk. It would have been perfect if she didn't include everyone. Now, he's getting selfish. What more could Leila do to him? Nah...He'll just take what he could for now._

 _With a burst of courage, he dared to do something he wanted to do the whole time. He encircled his other arm around her and he hugged the girl tight. He expected Leila's hands to push him away but it never came. Instead, he felt Leila snuggle against him more. He blushed but he did not let go. He stared at the black haired girl and noted that she already closed her eyes. Then he heard her sleepily mumble something._

" _Killua... let's spend more time with each other in the future... let's spend more time with everyone..."_

 _Then the girl's breathing evened and she finally fell asleep. Killua just stared at her as she slept. How long? He doesn't exactly know but at some time during the silent night, he softly muttered:_

" _Leila, just what are you really to me?"_

* * *

Killua opened his eyes and as usual, the details of the sordid room he was chained in greeted him. He dreamt of her again. Ever since he came back home, he's been dreaming of her almost every night. Most of his dreams were memories of the time they spent together during the hunter exam. This time he dreamt of a memory he was quite fond of. It was a memory of one of the nights they spent together at Zevil Island during the fourth phase of the exam. Of course, he also dreamt of the others on some nights but she appeared more often than not. He dreamt of Gon, the dwarf, Iris, Leorio, Kurapika but during those dreams she was also there. He didn't mind it though. In fact, he was grateful for it. It was good to see her even if only within his dreams. Her pretty face. Her unusual eyes. Her sweet smile.

Then he remembered the last time he saw her. She had a pained look on her face at that time. She tried to stop him from leaving. She held his bloodied hands without hesitation but he just coldly shook her hand off. He felt a rather peculiar ache. It was an ache that he was sure had nothing to do with his physical wounds. Was she angry with him? Did she hate him now? Will he ever see her again?

Drowned by his thoughts and emotions, he softly muttered: "Leila..." He really missed her so much.

"That stupid name again." A new voice echoed throughout the room. "Just how many times have I heard that? You've been mumbling that stupid name almost every time you sleep."

Killua stared at his fat-ass of a brother, Milluki, as he approached him.

"You should be glad I came here, Kil."

"Whatever for, aniki?"

"I came here bringing news. Probably good news for you."

Killua's eyes narrowed. "Stop beating around the bush, aniki."

"You're friends, that Gon and some others, came here to see you, Kil." Milluki smirked as he saw Killua's eyes widened. "They trained with Zebro for a few weeks and they successfully passed through the testing gate. Now, they are on their way here."

Killua felt rage burning inside him. "Weeks? They've been here for weeks?! You knew and you didn't tell me?!"

"Mama said that it's not necessary for you to know and she's always right."

Killua, meanwhile, was lost in his own thoughts. He couldn't believe that Gon actually came here to see him. He genuinely felt happy at the moment. But then he paused. Milluki said there were some others too. If Gon's here, he may have dragged the dwarf here. The two other guys and Iris might have accompanied him too. Then is she also here? Did she also come to see him?

"Oi, who was he with?" Killua asked his brother seriously.

"Huh?"

"Gon...Who was he with?"

"Oh...you also didn't know that, huh?" Milluki mocked. "He was with two guys and three girls... wait a sec... three girls... I see... you're precious Leila is with him, isn't she?" Milluki smirked evilly.

Killua didn't respond. His brother was right. There were three girls who came with Gon and the only girls who would willingly accompany Gon to see him would be Iris, the dwarf and _Leila_. There was no denying it. She was here. She was nearby. She actually came here to see him despite the cold treatment he gave her during their unfortunate farewell.

Suddenly, Milluki's cell phone rang. Milluki answered his phone and left Killua for a while. Then he came back and approached Killua once again. Milluki's expression showed that he found out about something he was quite pleased with.

"Mama has gone out to meet your friends, Kil."

Killua's eyes widened. "What?"

"I could call Mama, you know. I can call her and tell her to kill them. Kill them, kill that Gon and kill that precious Leila of yours'-"

The breaking sound of the chain that was holding one of Killua's arms suddenly interrupted Milluki. Milluki gave his full attention to his younger brother. Killua was leaking bloodlust and he was looking at him with an intimidating look on his eyes. Milluki was officially terrified.

" _ **Milluki, touch Leila, Gon or any of them and I'll definitely kill you."**_

It wasn't merely a threat. It was a promise.


	33. Chapter 33 Close

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 33

Close

* * *

The sky was already turning orange when the group met Kanaria. She introduced herself as an apprentice butler working for the Zoldyck family. It wasn't really a friendly meeting though. She blocked their way to the mansion and even used force to prevent them from taking a step forward. It was Gon who took all the violence. He stubbornly told the others to stay out of it as he tried to 'convince' Kanaria. The others reluctantly endured watching Gon fall to the ground as he took every hit. Iris and Leila were getting more worried and Eclair was growing more murderous by the minute. Meanwhile, Leorio and Kurapika watched Gon with hardened resolve. They both understood that this was something Gon wanted to do on his own and it wasn't their place to intervene.

A few more hits later, Kanaria began to crumble. She had never met anyone like Gon. No matter how many times she tossed him to the ground, he always stood up and tried again. She could clearly see the determination in his eyes. She tried to convince him to stop and she tried to convince the others to stop him. But Gon didn't listen and his companions didn't listen. It seemed that these people were really determined to see Killua to go through such lengths for him. These people were different and Kanaria can't simply take it anymore.

"Killua-sama..." Kanaria's voice trembled and the others stopped to listen. "Please...please help Killua-sama..."

It was then at that moment that Leila's strong dynamic vision caught something. It was a projectile speedily heading towards Kanaria. Leila felt a sudden burst of adrenaline. Within seconds, she pushed Kanaria to the ground, took her weapon and blocked the projectile. Her short sword split in half. The lower part flew and stabbed the ground while the other part was still in her hands. The force of the projectile snapped her weapon in half but it wasn't able to loosen Leila's grip on her weapon. The training Leila recently completed made it possible for her to hold on.

The source of the projectile appeared. It was a woman wearing a western dress and her eyes were strangely covered with some kind of gadget. Beside the woman, there seemed to be little girl almost as old as Killua. Contrary to the woman, the little girl wore an eastern kimono.

Leila lowered her hands and everyone stared at the newly arrived strangers.

"Konnichiwa, I am Killua's mother." The woman introduced herself then she gestured to the girl beside her. "And this is Kalluto-chan."

The group was quite surprised at the development. They never expected Killua's mother to actually come out and see them.

"Killua has a message for you." The woman continued. "Thank you for coming all this way to see me. I'm glad you came but I can't meet you. I'm sorry."

Leila was speechless for a second. They were so close and yet...

"Anou... may I ask why he can't see us?" Leila asked as she managed to compose herself.

"Because he's in solitary confinement." Killua's mother answered.

"Solitary confinement?" This time it was Gon who asked.

"When Killua left home, he stabbed his older and he stabbed me, his mother."

"We have heard that much from Killua." Kurapika said.

"Yes...I see...Well now that Killua has come home, he expresses deep regrets for his actions and he has willingly accepted his punishment."

"Is there really no way for us to see him?" Leila asked. She was beginning to get desperate. She wanted to see Killua so much.

"As I told you girl, he can't see and meet any of you." The woman's stern voice answered back.

"But-" Leila's protest died on her lips when Gon tugged at wrist to calm her.

"Can you please tell Killua that we would really like to see him and that we would remain in town for a while?" Gon requested politely.

The woman pursed her lips. "Alright, I wi-"

Then suddenly, something weird happened. The light in the woman's electronic mask changed color and then Killua's mother spouted words of disagreement and anger. Something definitely happened and she was angry about it. The woman remembered their presence and calmed down. She then cleared her throat.

"Excuse me, but I must go now. Kalluto, come."

With that Killua's mother and Kalluto left the scene though Kalluto gave the group a one last lingering glance.

"So what do we now?" Iris asked.

"I don't want to leave yet. Not until I see Killua." Leila said determinedly.

"You look like you could actually break in Killua's house with that determination on your face, Leila." Leorio carelessly commented.

"Ah..." Leila looked at Leorio in surprise.

"What?" Now, Iris was surprised too.

"There's actually that. Thank you for the suggestion, Leorio." Then Leila turned to leave.

At this, the others immediately panicked at the development. Leila was actually serious of breaking in. Leorio hurriedly blocked the girl's way to stop her.

"Wait a second, Leila. You can't be serious. It's an assassin's mansion. There's bound to be heavy security. You can't just possibly break in alone. You could get hurt." Leorio said as he put his hands on the girl's shoulder.

"Leila, I know you want to see Killua but going in there recklessly won't do anything good." Kurapika also gave out his thoughts. "I'm not telling you to give up, Leila. I just want you think this through carefully. Let us, all of us, think this through carefully."

"But Leorio, Kurapika, I might actually succeed and see him...please..." Leila pleaded. Everybody could tell how determined she was and they could also tell that the girl was actually close to tears.

"But..." Leorio started then he turned his gaze to Gon. If there's anyone who had more luck on stopping the girl, it would be Gon who was the friend Leila had for the longest time. "Gon, say something!"

"You're right, Leila." Gon responded which made Leila turn around and face him.

"What the heck?! Gon!" Leorio exclaimed.

"We might not actually meet Killua if we just wait around." Gon said looking straight at Leila's eyes. "I'm coming with you, Leila."

"Gon!" Eclair exclaimed. The situation was getting worse by the minute. "Gon, Leila, you can't just-"

"GON! LEILA! STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND DON'T EVEN THINK OF TAKING A SINGLE STEP TOWARDS THAT DAMN MANSION!"

A very stern and authoritative voice suddenly burst out and everybody looked at its source.

"Iris..." Kurapika's jaw dropped. He had never seen this side of Iris before. The Iris he knew was a girl who loved to tease and was laid back most of the time. He never expected the strict expression that Iris had on her face.

Leorio and Eclair was quite surprised too. Perhaps more than surprised. Sure, Iris had moments when she was actually serious but not this kind of serious.

"THE BOTH OF YOU ARE NOT GOING ANYWHERE! YOU TWO WILL STAY HERE AND LISTEN! I SWEAR I WON'T LET THAT DAMN RECKLESSNESS YOU HAVE KILL THE BOTH OF YOU!"

Leila and Gon flinched at Iris's angry tone. It was the second time she actually used it on them. The first was when they almost got themselves killed back at Whale Island. Iris saved the two of them but they both received a harsh scolding from her at the end. Iris cried at that time.

Then the present Iris sighed. She was used to Gon and Leila's stubbornness but she has to put her foot down if they actually put themselves in danger. She can't lose any of her friend, she just can't. "Look...Gon...Leila... I know you want to see Killua but please... not this way..." Iris took steps forward and hugged the two of them. "You both know how precious the two of you are to me... I simply can't lose the two of you so please... don't make me do this... don't push me to stop and hurt the two of you."

Leila and Gon's eyes widened as they realized their mistake.

"I'm sorry, Iris. I didn't think. I'm sorry." Leila apologized.

"I'm sorry too, Iris." Gon was next to apologize.

Iris broke the hug but kept them both at arm's length. "Promise you'll listen to us and think this through?"

Leila and Gon smiled as they simultaneously said. "We promise."

"Good." Iris returned their smiles of her own.

Leorio and Kurapika just smiled at the scene. Even Eclair had a small smile on her face. The scene clearly showed how deep the bond that the Whale Island trio had with each other. It reminded them once again that three of them had years of friendship prior to their meeting at the hunter exam.

"So now what are we really gonna do?" Leorio opened the question once again.

"Well, we know that Killua is in solitary confinement according to his mother and the message..." Kurapika said.

"That message was definitely, absolutely and unquestionably not from that brat I usually call grandpa." Eclair interrupted.

"Huh? How can you be so sure about that, Eclair?" Kurapika asked.

"Seriously, guys, remember how that stupid message was worded. It was too damn polite!" Eclair exclaimed.

"What do you mean, Eclair?" Gon looked at Eclair in confusion.

"Recall... has that white haired bratty grandpa ever been polite?"

Now that they think about it, Eclair actually had a good point.

"Well, I guess...Killua's speech is quite...rough..." Kurapika hesitantly answered.

"Nope. I've never seen or heard Killua being polite." Iris also gave her answer.

"Yep. That boy ain't polite." Leorio said. "You are even more polite than him, Eclair and that's actually saying something."

Eclair just shrugged off Leorio's comment. "Yeah, whatever you say, old man."

"I TOLD YOU I'M STILL IN MY TEENS! WILL YOU LISTEN FOR ONCE?! DAMN IT!"

"Heard it, listened to it, just never remembered it."

"Why you..." Leorio seethed.

Iris began openly laughing at the scene while the others had equally amused expression on their faces.

Meanwhile, Kanaria was a silent observer on the side as she watched everything. They were a truly weird and strange bunch. At first, the situation was full of tension then it got worse, then it got dramatic and it turned into this light atmosphere in the blink of an eye. But Kanaria could also see just how much they cared for each other and how much they also cared for her master. Kanaria knew at that moment that she could trust them with her master.

"Anou... I could take you to the butler's office." Kanaria suggested as she gained everyone's attention.

"Kanaria-san?" Leila stared at the girl.

"The butler's office has a phone which is directly connected to the main mansion." Kanaria continued. "If we're lucky, Zeno-sama, Killua-sama's grandfather, might answer the phone and we could have a chance to talk to Killua-sama since he has always favored Killua-sama."

"Won't you get in trouble for this, Kanaria-san?" Leila asked in concern.

"They already know I'm helping so it's the least I can do." Kanaria answered.

The others glanced at each other.

"I think it's for the best." Kurapika said.

Gon nodded amd smiled at Kanaria. "We'll be in your care, Kanaria-san. Arigatou."

* * *

Meanwhile at the mansion, Killua was walking towards his father's room. His grandfather released him from his cell and told him that his father wanted to talk to him. Killua obeyed without question. It was quite rare for his father, Silva, to call for him other than training.

Killua knocked at the door. "Father"

"Come in." A deep voice from the other side of the door said.

Killua opened the door and it revealed his father who was looking at him expectantly.

"How long do you plan on standing there? Sit down." His father ordered.

Killua obediently sat down on the lone chair in the room.

"I heard you made friends? What are they like?" His father asked.

Killua looked at his father in surprise. Then he composed himself and responded. "Well, they are quite interesting and its fun being with them."

"How was the exam?"

"It was easy."

"You said you wanted to decide your own future when you left home then you entered the hunter exam. Have you gained interest on being a hunter?"

"No, it's not really like that. I never really cared about the profession. I just entered the exam to kill time. It was more of a whim than anything."

"I see." Silva paused and then looked at his son intently. "Killua, according to Illumi, you said you do not want to be a killer anymore. Is that true? Among my sons, you are the most talented one and I even named you as my successor. I don't think it's a mistake even now. So tell me what made you decide to stop being an assassin."

"I actually didn't mind being an assassin at first. The training, the missions, I always thought of it as a game. But then... when I met Gon and the others, I discovered something more fun than killing. It was a lot more fun being with them. They were not that surprised when I told them that I was an assassin and they never avoided or treated me any different because of it. They say some interesting things too. It was the first time for me... meeting people like that." By the end of the speech, Killua had a smile on his face and Silva noticed it.

"It's been a long while since I've seen that on your face, Kil. Come here and tell me more about the exam. Who you met there, what did you do. I want to hear everything."

Killua was quite surprised at first but he obeyed his father anyway. Then minutes passed as he told his father everything that happened in the exam and Silva listened to every word Killua said while occasionally laughing and commenting on some parts of his story.

As Silva listened to his son's retelling, he got to know about Leorio who claimed to be a teen despite looking like an old man, a smart blonde teenager named Kurapika, another teenager who was quite mischievous named Iris, a dwarf that he always argued with (he never said the dwarf's actual name), then Gon who was his first friend and a girl his age by the name of Leila who he seemed to talk about the most.

"And then that Leila said that she actually had crush on me without even being embarrassed about it." Killua said as he continued his storytelling then his expression turned sour as he continued. "But then that girl actually began crushing Kurapika... I mean seriously..."

"So do you return it?" Silva interrupted.

"Return what?"

"That crush?"

Killua blushed and suddenly got more interested on the sheets that they are currently sitting on. "Well I... she's... I mean..." Killua mumbled as he tried to answer.

Silva chuckled as he looked at his son. By his behavior, he could quite tell that he actually returned the same sentiments. It reminded him once again that his son was growing up. Silva thought that he might need to meet that Leila in the future as she was the first girl who managed to charm his son. She might be a potential bride but being Zoldyck bride has its standards and criteria. That is still quite far in the future though. For now...

"Do you want to see your friends, Kil?" Silva asked. "Don't hold back and don't worry. I won't do anything to them."

"I want to see them but I don't have the right to." Killua said sadly. "They were kind to me and they treated me like a friend but in the end... I just left them..."

"Well, they don't seem to think that. After all, all of them came all the way here just to see you."

Killua's eyes widened for a second and he smiled.

"You are free now, Kil." Silva announced as he ruffled his son's hair.

"What?"

"You are now free to go and meet your friends, Kil. You're free to go with them too. I was raised as an assassin and so I raised you that way too. I realize now that you may be my son but you are your own person too."

"Dad..."

"You can go and you can just come home whenever you're tired, Kil. But first, promise me one thing."

"What is it?"

Silva bit his thumb and showed it to Killua. "Promise me that you won't betray your friends."

With that, Killua also bit his thumb and stuck it to Silva's. "I promise. I promise I won't betray them. Ever."

Moments later, Killua happily left his father's room, took some things from his own and headed outside. He was finally going to see them again and no one is going to stop him.


	34. Chapter 34 Till My Hand Could Hold Yours

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 34

Till My Hand Could Hold Yours

* * *

Killua reached the butler's office only to be greeted by the head butler Gotoh.

"Greetings, Killua-sama."

"Gotoh" Killua nodded in acknowledgement as he was led inside. "Are my friends here yet?"

"Not yet, Killua-sama but they are heading towards here. Kanaria is leading them. I suggest you wait inside this room." Gotoh led Killua into a room.

"Alright but call me the minute they arrive."

"As you wish, Killua-sama."

* * *

When Leila and the others arrived at the butler's office, five stern faced butlers formally welcomed them. They were led inside and then they were treated with gracious hospitality. They also bandaged and treated Gon's wounds.

"Anou... Gotoh-san, we thank you for your hospitality and we really appreciate it but we would really like to see Killua as soon as possible so it would really help us a lot if you could lead us to him." Iris said politely.

The others also showed their agreement.

"That won't be necessary." Gotoh coolly responded. "Killua-sama is already heading this way."

"Hontou?!" Gon exclaimed in pleasant surprise.

"That's good news." Iris smiled. "Looks like you'll being seeing Killua real soon, Leila."

Leila put her hands to her heart. For some reason, her heart sped up when she heard the news. She felt happy, excited and... nervous? Leila can't really comprehend what she's feeling right now. It was really strange for her. For the last few weeks, all she could ever think of was meeting Killua again and now that Killua's heading towards them, she felt as if butterflies were lively living in her stomach. It was a very foreign feeling for her.

"Are you ok, Leila?" Eclair asked as she observed her friend.

Leila nodded and the smile that she gave Eclair was one of her brightest. "I just feel really, really happy right now, Eclair."

Iris, Leorio and Kurapika chuckled in amusement at the sight.

Then suddenly, Gotoh's voice interrupted the scene. "It's quite boring to just wait, don't you think so? Why don't we play a game?"

* * *

"Che. What taking them so long?" Killua grumpily muttered as he ate another box of chocolate.

As Killua thought of the arrival of his friends, it finally sunk down on him that he would finally see them again and that he would finally see her again. Dread bubbled inside him. After he treated her so coldly last time, she was more than likely angry with him. But was she angry enough to hate him? But then again she willingly came here to see him... No, Gon might have just convinced her to come.

Killua ruffled his hair in frustration and he slumped down the couch. Speculating her feelings towards him at the moment was getting him nowhere. He couldn't help it though. She was admittedly someone quite special to him and to think that she was probably hating him at the moment made him want to rip his heart out.

At that moment, he desperately wished:

 _'Please don't hate me, Leila.'_

* * *

Leila and Gon intently stared at the coin as it fell. They needed to win.

The game started out simple enough. It was only to guess correctly on which hand the coin fell into. But then the head butler started threatening them. The other butlers also drew out their weapons and one of them threatened to slice Kanaria's throat if they refuse to play and so play they did. After a few rounds, Leorio, Eclair, Kurapika and Iris were disqualified from the game. It was only Leila and Gon left.

"So what is your final guess?" Gotoh asked with quite an intimidating tone.

Leila and Gon smiled at each other and simultaneously said. "It's on the hand of the man beside us!"

The butlers started clapping their hands which definitely surprised Leila.

"That was a wonderful performance, both of you!" Gotoh congratulated the two of them. The threatening tone in Gotoh's voice was gone and the other butlers also withdrew their weapons too.

There was only one thing on Leila's mind.

 _'What the heck just happened?'_

* * *

"Damn it. I can't wait anymore."

He just wanted to see them as soon as possible. Damn it.

Few more minutes later, Killua finally had it so he went out of the room.

"Gotoh!" He called but no one answered him. In fact, no one seems to be around.

Killua decided to head for the reception room and as he neared it, he began to hear clapping. Just what is going on? Finally arriving at the door, he immediately opened the door to know what the fuss was about but what he saw pleasantly surprised him.

"Killua!" Gon immediately stood up and approached Killua.

"Gon!" Killua greeted back as they shared a high five. "Long time no see and what the heck happened to you?! You're face looks like a wreck!" Killua laughed. It was really good to see Gon again.

"You're face looks no better than mine, Killua!" Gon laughed.

"And so he finally appears." A very familiar voice drawled out from Gon's back accompanied by a smirk that only the girl he usually called dwarf could pull off. "I never really expected I'd ever say this in my life but it's nice to see you again, gramps." Eclair put out her fist towards Killua.

Killua smirked back and bumped his fist on Eclair's and their unique greeting was complete. "Likewise, dwarf. I never really thought I'd be happy to see your not so appealing mug around again."

Eclair just chuckled. Damn. These routine bickering had really grown on her. "Gramps, if you must know, your mug's currently, and now and forever, uglier than mine."

"Shut up." Killua glared at the girl. He can't believe that he actually missed arguing with the dwarf.

Then suddenly, Eclair pushed Leila in front of him.

"Eclair!" Leila scolded.

"What?! You wanted to see him, right?" Eclair just gave the girl her usual smirk.

Killua heart beat began to speed up. It's her. It's really her. He took a moment to sink the sight of her into his brain. She was just as he remembered. Pretty face, unique purple eyes and long silky black hair. Killua froze. Now what should he do?

Before Killua could ponder more, Leila already took the initiative. Leila reached out her two hands toward his right hand and held it tight. It was the same hand that she held before. The same hand that he used to let her go.

Leila gave him a smile. It wasn't her usual bright smiles but he could clearly see the relief and happiness in it. "I've finally got to see you again, Killua."

 _'Wait...she wasn't angry? How? What?'_ Killua thought in confusion.

Then Leila squeezed his hand and then proceeded to say the words she wanted so much for him to hear. "I'm sorry...Killua..."

Killua's eyes widened. _'What? Why is she apologizing?'_

"I'm sorry, Killua." Leila repeated. "I'm sorry for not holding on to you tighter. I'm sorry for not being able to do anything for you. I'm sorry for not being strong enough to help you. I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." Tears poured out from Leila's eyes. The words she wanted to tell him. The regrets that she felt ever since that day. It all poured out.

Killua bit his lip. He was an idiot. To think that he actually thought that she hated him because of his actions when all it ever did was made her feel guilty. But she was an idiot too. She wasn't supposed to apologize. He was. He was the weak one who couldn't go against his brother. He was the one who froze and couldn't do a thing to protect her when his brother threatened her life.

They were both idiots.

Killua couldn't take the sight of her tears anymore. He pulled Leila towards him and put her arms around her in a tight embrace. He felt the all familiar warmth of her body and then soon her arms also encircled him as she hugged him back.

"You're not the one who should apologize, Leila. I'm the one who left. I'm the one who let go. I'm the one who should apologize... not you... especially not you..."

"That's not true..."

"Baka...you should be angry with me..."

"I wasn't. I wasn't angry with you. Not even a little."

"You should hate me..."

"I don't that's ever possible, Killua."

"You shouldn't be happy to see me..."

"I think that's too late for that."

Killua broke the hug to take a look at Leila's face. He could immediately see the traces of tears in her cheeks.

"I'm so happy to see you again, Killua."

Killua's eyes widened at the sight. It was the sight that he longed to see. It was the sweet smile that only Leila could give him. His lips twitched upwards in a little smile. He closed their distance and leaned his forehead towards hers. "You idiot..."

It was at that exact moment that Killua finally realized just how special Leila was to him. And what girl could be more special at this moment other than your very _first love_?

Iris watched the scene with a smile. It was just too cute. But no matter how cute the moment, the two of them should be reminded that other people actually existed besides them. Guess she'll have to do it.

"That was really sweet of you, Killua..." Someone's teasing just interrupted the moment.

Killua immediately snapped up and turned towards the source of the voice. "Iris!" Then Killua blushed as he was reminded again that there were other people in the room. When he saw Leila, all he ever saw was her but... well... that was quite embarrassing... and the teasing grin he saw on Iris's face just cemented that fact.

"Hehe...Finally noticed my presence, have you?"

"Shut it."

"But really Killua, that was very, very sweet of you... a friendly high five for Gon, a cool fist-bump for Eclair and a warm hug for Leila. What's next?" Then Iris's teasing smile maxed. "Could it be a passionate kiss for Leorio?"

Killua and Leorio's jaw dropped at the unexpected suggestion. Leila and Eclair burst into laughter as they saw Killua and Leorio's reactions while Kurapika just cringed at the mental image he momentarily had. Now, that was utterly horrendous.

Then Gon just had to innocently ask: "Eh? Killua, are you gonna kiss Leorio?"

"HELL NO! That's just absolutely disgusting!" Killua protested.

"My precious lips ain't going anywhere near that brat!" Leorio actively disagreed.

"What? You weren't going to? I was actually looking forward to it." Iris teased.

"Shut up, Iris and besides if there's anyone I would kiss in the three of you, I would rather kiss you. At least you're actually a girl." Killua responded.

"That's not going to happen!"

Iris snapped her gaze towards the source of the outburst. "Eh? Kurapika? Why..."

Damn it. His jealousy got the best of him. Kurapika cleared his throat. "That-that kiss is inappropriate and totally uncalled for."

Iris just blinked. Since when did Kurapika felt so strongly about kissing?

Killua just stared at Kurapika suspiciously. Was that... jealousy? Then Killua turned his gaze to Iris. He connected the dots.

' _Interesting'_ Killua thought.

Meanwhile, Gotoh silently observed the scene. They were truly a weird bunch but he could tell that Killua really enjoyed their company and that Leila girl was somehow quite special to his master. That was rather unexpected. Gotoh never really expected that his master would feel like that for someone at his very early age and certainly not with his upbringing but it happened right in front of him. It also doesn't help that Killua actually slid his hand towards Leila's amidst the chatter.

The group bickered for a while till the red haired girl asked: "So how long are we gonna stay here?"

"I hate to admit it but the dwarf's right. Let's go before someone troublesome comes here."

"Alright. I'll just go and get my things." Leila turned towards the sofa to get her backpack but a tug on her hand stopped her. "Killua?"

Killua was actually reluctant to let her go. Call him irrational but the last time he let her go, it didn't end well and damn it if he was going to have a repeat of that. Especially not after what he realized today. But he was also being silly. She was just going to get her bag so he swallowed his unease and let her go.

Leila quickly wore her backpack and the others got ready too. When Killua saw that she was ready, he immediately slid his hand on hers and held it tight. Leila stared at Killua. He was being weird again but she chose not to comment on it. She liked it anyway. She liked the fact that Killua was holding her hand. It somehow assured her that Killua was with her and he hasn't disappeared just like before.

"Gon, let's go!" Killua called as he saw Gon still talking to Gotoh.

With one final goodbye to Gotoh, Gon immediately caught up with them and with that all seven of them started their trek towards the exit of the Zoldyck domain.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **(PLEASE READ)**

 **So how was the reunion? Was it bad? Was it good?**

 **I'm really, really curious about what you guys think of it.**

 **I've been busy for the last few weeks that I barely even managed to post the chapters 32 and 33. But I hope you enjoyed those chapters though.**

 **I also put up a poll on my profile. The question is:**

 **"Who among the main three OC girls do you like best for now?"**

 **CHOICES: LEILA, ECLAIR, IRIS**

 **I've been curious about it for a while now. And I also wanted to know what traits do you guys like on a an OC character. I was actually planning on making another OC soon who might be paired with Leorio. I've decided who she will be but I still can't make a concrete idea of her personality. I keep changing my mind and it's really troublesome hence the poll. I feel that knowing who is the most likeable character for now would help me make up my mind. Don't worry, she won't be the carbon copy of that 'most voted character' (that would make things redundant).**

 **You can either go to my profile and vote or you could review your answer. Either way is ok. You could also state your reasons if you want. It would definitely help but its optional so don't worry too much if you only want to cast your vote.**

 **Thank you for reading and I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!**

 **Reviews are always much appreciated! Questions and constructive criticisms are welcome too!**

 **PS. Can anybody guess who is the new cover pic of this fic? Who do you think she is?**

 **REPLY:**

 **AstarteLuna: First of all, thank you very much for the review! To answer your question, this fic will mostly follow the anime since I haven't actually read the manga but this fic might diverge on some parts. I'll be adding a few arcs and story lines of my own to develop my OCs and their relationships with the main characters. And I might actually change some things or events from the anime. Once again, thanks and you are very welcome to review and ask questions again anytime!**


	35. Chapter 35 Stormy Night (Part 1)

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hunter x Hunter.**

* * *

CHAPTER 35

Stormy Night

(Part 1)

* * *

"It's really pouring out there." Iris commented as she looked at the rain outside the window. It was really raining hard and the sky rumbled with thunder and lightning.

"We're lucky to be here then." Leorio grinned as he relaxed in the sofa.

"Is this really okay, Iris? This is your parents' house, right?" Kurapika asked as he placed his tea on the table.

"Of course, its fine. And this house is more like a property that my dad just bought on his own whim. There's nothing special to it, really." Iris answered as she turned away from the window and sat next to Kurapika.

"It still nice and cozy though." Gon complimented with a smile.

"Thanks, Gon. Mom will be happy to hear that Dad actually bought something nice for once." Iris smiled back.

After the seven of them left the Zoldyck property, they took the train and went to the neighboring town where the airport was the nearest. It was already dark when they arrived and it was raining to boot. That was when Iris suggested that they stay at a property her family owned in the area.

The house was empty when they arrived but it was clean since Iris's father had hired people to clean the house periodically. The lock only required a fingerprint to open and since Iris was registered, they had no problem entering the property.

They ordered dinner since they were too tired and too hungry to cook. After their lively dinner, they all relaxed in the living room sipping tea. Well, not all of them at the moment.

"Where are Eclair and Leila?" Gon asked as he noticed that the two youngest girls of the group were missing.

"The dwarf dragged Leila somewhere." Killua aswered, sounding a bit irritated. "Dwarf said something about a talk or contacting someone."

"Well, Eclair actually bought a laptop before we went to Kukuroo Mountain. I guess she's using it now." Iris said. "Maybe she's calling home or something."

Gon tensed at the Iris's words. _'Home? Is Eclair going back home? Is she going home after all?'_

Kurapika was the only one who noticed Gon tense up though. The others were too busy. Killua was busy being irritated because Leila was out of his line of sight. Leorio was busy stuffing his mouth with the snacks on the table as if he hasn't eaten dinner yet and Iris was smirking.

 _'That smirk can't be anything good.'_ Kurapika thought.

"I really wonder who Eclair's calling though. Is she really calling home?" Iris started.

Gon tensed up again and again only Kurapika noticed.

"But then again, why does she need Leila with her?" Iris continued while intently looking at Killua. "Maybe she's introducing her to a family member? A brother of her's, perhaps?"

This time it was the silver haired pre-teen who froze. Looks like she was right after all. There was more to Killua's feelings other than friendship. Then a shit-eating grin later.

"Oh! Maybe Eclair's setting Leila up for a date with her brother?!" Iris practically sounded over dramatically cheerful that anyone in their right mind could notice it was nothing more than a tease.

However, Killua wasn't on his right mind so the next moments happened in a flash. Killua quickly sprinted across the room and Kurapika quickly sprinted after him. The next second, Kurapika had his arms under the struggling younger boy's arms to stop him from barging in.

The others sweat dropped at the scene while the mischievous mastermind was laughing her ass off in the corner.

* * *

Meanwhile...

Eclair sat on the bed and turned on the laptop she was carrying.

"Eclair, what do you want to talk about?" Leila gave Eclair a questioning gaze.

"Leila, you want to discover your real identity, right?" Eclair asked. Ever since Leila told her about her amnesia, the idea had been nagging Eclair at the back of her mind. She was supposed to tell her after the exam but a lot of things happened and Eclair lost the chance to tell Leila until now.

"Yes, I do." Leila frowned in confusion. "Why do you ask, Eclair?"

"I think I know someone who could help you."

"Really?"

"I can't guarantee anything though. He's um... a private detective... I guess... you could also call him an information broker... maybe. Anyway, back when we were still stealing frequently, he usually does the information gathering like the security loopholes and such. Nowadays, he does business with information. His usual clients are mafias and some rich men. With the right amount of money, he finds out information for people going as far to find murderers in some cases that those idiots in the legal side of the law can't solve. Well, technically he's a merchant with an overvalued and overpriced merchandise."

Leila sweat dropped at the description. "But if it's as you say, Eclair then would cost a lot to ask help from him."

"Not for me."

"Eh?"

"I have the sibling privilege." Eclair smirked, remembering her siblings. They may not be the most law abiding citizens but they are the most loyal family members a girl could ask for. "I still think there's a chance he could help you. Are you willing to bet on it?"

"Yes!" Leila exclaimed. Frankly, she had no idea how start looking for her real identity. There were too little clues of her past so Eclair's offer was truly something she couldn't afford to pass up. "Thank you, Eclair. It really means a lot to me."

"No problem. Don't get your hopes up though. I told you I can't guarantee anything."

Leila shook her head and smiled at Eclair. "This is more than enough, Eclair."

"Ok. I'll contact him now." Eclair begun to operate the laptop. "Don't show yourself at the camera till I tell you to."

"Ok." It was strange request but Leila had no qualms accepting it. She trusted Eclair anyway.

The video call connected and a boy who looked about 14 to 15 years old appeared on the screen. The boy had handsome features, black hair and onyx eyes. He also wore a red trimmed eye glasses on his face.

"Hello, my dear four eyed brother." Eclair greeted one of her adoptive brothers.

"It was about time you contacted us, brat." The boy replied. There was mirth in his tone.

Eclair rolled her eyes. "You're not much older than me, nii-chan."

"I'm still older." The boy replied. "Why did you choose me to contact me though? I'm sure there are a lot of other options. Do you need something? If there is, then spill it now."

"I want you to do me a favor, nii-chan." Eclair said seriously.

"What is it?"

"I want you to find someone's identity."

"Someone's identity? Who? Did someone rob you?"

"No. I want you to find my friend's real identity."

"Friend?" The boy laughed. "Stop joking, Eclair and tell me the truth."

"..."

"Really?" The boy looked at Eclair in disbelief. "You mean to say you found a friend with that bitter and sour attitude of yours?"

Eclair rolled her eyes and gestured Leila to come over and show herself to the camera.

"Hi" Leila greeted the boy politely but then...

"Aaaaaaargh!" The boy suddenly screamed at her sudden appearance. Then there was some crashing noise and the boy disappeared from the screen.

"Is he ok, Eclair?" Leila asked her friend in concern.

"He's fine." Eclair snickered.

"Why did he scream?" Leila asked.

"He's afraid of girls." Eclair deadpanned.

"I'm not afraid of them. I just don't like them near me or touching me." The boy argued as he appeared back on the screen.

"Let me introduce my brother with the girly phobia, Nate Sankrei." Eclair said to Leila.

Leila nodded in acknowledgement. "I'm Leila. Leila Sparks, Eclair's friend."

"Seriously? You're her friend?" Nate asked in disbelief which Leila replied with a nod. Then the boy's expression turned to genuine awe. "Wow...you must be insane..."

Leila pouted. "I'm perfectly sane. If you must know, Eclair is a very good friend to me and I'm very grateful to have her as one!"

Nate and Eclair were quite surprised at Leila's sudden outburst. Eclair got fully reminded at how embarrassingly honest Leila could be at times and Nate was just... impressed. He fully knew what his sister was like and then he just found out that she gained a friend who could bravely and sincerely defend her. It was just unbelievable and downright amazing.

"That's a very good thing to hear, Leila-san." A new guy appeared in the screen.

It was a guy on his early twenties. He had blonde hair and blue eyes. Leila also noted the man had a very kind smile on his face.

"Nii-san, since when-" Nate begun to ask.

"Just a few seconds after you screamed, Nate." The man responded.

"Nii-san." Eclair greeted the man with a rather rare smile.

"You look well, Eclair and I'm guessing you passed the exam."

"I did." Eclair said proudly.

The man smiled. "Well done, Eclair."

Eclair smiled back sincerely. "Thanks, nii-san."

"Well then, I can't help but overhear your conversation. I hope you don't mind, Leila-san."

"No, it's okay. I'm very sorry for yelling too." Leila apologized.

"Don't be sorry, Leila-san. I'm very happy to know that Eclair has gained a very loyal and kind friend like you."

"Thank you very much...ano..."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Fye Sankrei, Eclair's oldest brother. Nice to meet you, Leila-san."

"Nice to meet you too, Fye-san." Leila gave a little bow.

Then suddenly the sound of the door violently opening was heard through the speaker of the laptop on Eclair and Leila's side. Then two unknown boys appeared on the screen. Leila noted that the two were mirror images with each other. The two of them had spiky orange hair that was styled identically then identical brown eyes. The two of them looked about as old as Iris.

"Our dear nerdy-" One of the boys started.

"Banshee screaming-" The other one continued.

"Four eyed little brother, we have come to your desperate need!" Then the two of them stated the last statement dramatically and simultaneously.

Nate miserably groaned at the stupid theatrics. "I don't need you so will you two get out of my room?"

"That's cold-"

"Freezing-"

"We just came here because we're worried of our darling little brother and that's how you treat us?!"

"Unacceptable, horrible, utterly incorrigible! Where have we gone wrong in raising you, my son?!"

Nate face palmed while Fye just smiled.

"Now, now...I'm sure they are just concerned for their little brother, Nate." Fye chided.

"Well they can show their concern without the stupid theatrics and if you didn't notice, they just called me their son which is absolute bullshit-" Nate cursed and then he stopped after he saw the very sweet smile on Fye's face. That smile can't be anything good.

"Um...Eclair? Who are they?" Leila asked. She was rather lost in the current development.

Eclair was about to answer her when the two newcomers noticed them. They came up nearer towards the camera and excitedly greeted Eclair.

"Our vertically challenged-"

"Socially impaired-"

"Dear little sister Eclair!" Again they spoke simultaneously.

"Hello to you too, my idiotic brothers." Eclair simply rolled her eyes and greeted then she turned to Leila. "Leila, these two are my stupidly insane older brothers, Raku and Ruka Sankrei. Don't bother trying differentiate them now. Those two are identical twins. Only Nii-san and Mira-nee can identify them right."

"Eh? Leila?" Raku noticed the girl beside Eclair. He noted that she was quite pretty and her eyes was quite unusual.

"Who is she, Eclair?" Ruka asked.

"She's my friend, Leila." Eclair answered coolly.

Then the two brothers looked at the Eclair in disbelief. Then they took a step back and...

"Aaaaaaaaaaaargh!"

"Eh? Eclair, why are they screaming? Are they afraid of girls too?" Leila asked in panic.

"No, they are just idiots." Eclair deadpanned.

"Eh?"

"Please behave, Raku, Ruka. You are scaring, Leila-san." Fye reprimanded gently but it seems that it was enough for the two boys to stop their screaming and obey their older sibling.

"Is this real, Nii-san?" Ruka asked.

"Is _she_ real, Nii-san?" Raku followed.

"Very much so." Fye replied. "So you two calm yourselves and behave. I believe Eclair, Nate and Leila-san had an important discussion before we barged into their conversation."

The twin grumbled and mumbled a bit that sounded like 'the end of the world', 'unbelievable' and 'impossible' but nevertheless, they obeyed their brother.

Nate cleared his throat. There was something he needed to ask his sister first. "So who's identity do you want me to find, Eclair?"

"It's actually mine, Nate-san" Leila replied.

"Yours?" Nate looked at the girl in surprise.

"She has amnesia, nii-chan. She was washed ashore on Whale Island four years ago with no memories of her own." Eclair informed.

"That is very unfortunate." Fye commented.

"Well, yes but I got luckily picked by a really good family, Fye-san." Leila said giving the man a kind smile.

"That's wonderful to hear." Fye smiled back.

Nate cleared his throat again. "So you really can't remember your anything from your past life?"

Leila shook her head.

"Is the name 'Leila Sparks' your real name?" Nate asked.

"No."

"Do you have any clues of your past?"

"The only things I have from my past is the dress I wore when I was first found and the barrel that Mito-san found me in."

"That's not much to go on."

"When are you exactly found?"

"January 29, 2xx6. I don't know what is the exact time but Mito-san found me at dawn during her walk. There was a storm the previous night when I was found."

"Is that so..."

"Will accept my favor, nii-chan?" Eclair asked.

Nate paused for a moment then nodded.

"Thank you very much, Nate-san." Leila expressed her gratitude.

"Call me Nate. Drop the -san. It's annoying. Don't bother adding any other honorific. And I apologize for calling you insane." Nate replied.

"Apology accepted, Nate." Leila smiled at him brightly.

Nate blushed at the girl's smile. She looked really pretty. He noted her pretty face, black hair and very unique purple eyes. He immediately calmed himself down but Fye and one of the twins still noticed it though.

"Well then since I already accepted this job, I must know how old are you." Nate asked.

"I don't know my real birthday but the estimate was eleven or twelve." Leila answered.

"Is the color of your hair natural?"

"Yes"

"Your eyes?"

"Yes"

"Are you wearing any make up at the moment?"

"No"

"Alright. I'm taking a screenshot of you and I must ask you to give me permission to freely look at your personal information. Is that ok?"

"Yes."

Nate took a few screenshots of Leila and Eclair. He asked a few more questions to which Leila honestly answered. Then Nate declared he was done.

"Since that is done with, I would also like to ask a favor from you, Leila-san." Fye said.

"Huh? What is it, Fye-san?" Leila asked.

"I would like to personally meet you and I'm sure the rest of the family would like to meet you too, the moment they hear about you so if it's ok, I would like you to come and visit us here."

"That's a great idea, Nii-san!" Raku cheered.

"I totally agree, Nii-san!" Ruka then gave his agreement.

"Eclair?" Leila turned to Eclair.

"It's fine with me." Eclair shrugged.

"Then I accept, Fye-san." Leila smiled.

"That's great. I can't wait to meet my little sister's very first friend." Fye smiled back.

"I'm not really her first friend. Gon befriended Eclair first." Leila said.

"Gon?" Fye asked in confusion.

"He's my other friend." Eclair said but Fye could somehow make out some red hue on Eclair's cheeks as she said it.

"You have another one? Are there others too?" This time, it was Nate who asked.

"Well, there is gramps, ossan, Kurapika and Iris." Eclair replied.

"Gramps?" Raku asked as his eyebrows knitted in confusion.

"Ossan?" Ruka asked, also quite confused.

"She actually means Killua and Leorio." Leila sweatdropped. Eclair doesn't really call Killua by his name and even though Eclair could call Leorio by his name just fine, she was more fond of calling him ossan.

"I see. Then I would like to meet them too. Will you bring them too if you can?" Fye said.

"If they can and want to, Nii-san then maybe..." Eclair answered.

"Alright, I'll accept that for now." Fye conceded.

"By the way brat, the game Greed Island you are searching for, it'll appear on the York Shin city grand auction on September 1st." Nate suddenly informed.

"Really?" Eclair raised an eyebrow in surprise.

* * *

When Leila and Eclair went out of the bedroom, they were greeted with a very unusual sight. It was Kurapika holding a struggling Killua, Iris holding her sides trying to contain her laughter and surprisingly, the only people who looked sane at the scene was Gon and Leorio.

"What the hell happened?" Eclair deadpanned.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I'm really sorry for not posting new chapters for a while. I had to think and re-think some things I had planned for the story so I took some time off. I'm not exactly done with the thinking yet but I think I'm ready to post some new chapters now.**

 **A big thank you for those who reviewed, followed, and put this fic on their favorite list. You made this student really happy. :)**

 **Favorite, follow, review!**


	36. ANNOUNCEMENT: REWRITE

**ANNOUNCEMENT**

 **TOPIC: REWRITE**

 **STATUS: ALREADY POSTED**

Hello guys,

Ok... first things first...

I'm really, really sorry for not updating for a long, long while. Things have been really busy with my personal life. I had things to sort out (personal and mostly academic) and I actually had to take a break from the fanfiction world itself too not just with this fic. I haven't even read a fic for a few months which was actually quite surprising even for me. There were a few distractions too so... yeah... But now, I finally got my free time back and I've been spending the last few days reading my fics, getting familiar again with the planned plotlines I had in mind and well... writing.

The result: REWRITE

This HunterxHunter fic was actually something I started and gradually continued to write during my younger years. I usually write a few chapters then stop then write a few chapters again and then by chapter 15 or was it actually by chapter 12 that I finally posted it here on ffnet. By the time I finally posted this fic, I was a bit more older compared to when I actually started it and my writing style had changed a bit. I wasn't really conscious of it at that time though since reading my old work made me subconsciously 'copy it's style'. And so I continued on writing like that till I finally reached the 30 chapter mark and that's when I started to notice things but the hammer that really broke the nail was me finally managing to write my second fic. I was surprised by what I managed to write and by the way I wrote it. You can see the other fic on my profile, by the way. It's a My Hero Academia fic. Anyway at this point in time, it was getting harder for me to write as I did on this fic and I became really dissatisfied with it too.

I started thinking of a rewrite at that time but never really acted upon it till a bit more later. And this time, I wanted to plan it properly too (the OCs original plot points) and iron out the details of the fourth OC heroine (Leorio's pair). And then I got busy. The rewrite was stalled. Then I stopped writing altogether and now I'm trying to get back myself into it again by starting with this rewrite.

And so...

What will be the rewrite like?

1\. Longer chapters and more events covered in a chapter: I decided to write it like my second fic. The chapters in my second fic had word counts that range from 7,000 to about 9,000 (at least chapters after the prologue) compared to the average 1,000 - 2,000 words of this fic per chapter. Some chapters will be fused into one chapter in the rewrite.

2\. Hopefully improved grammar and writing. Hopefully.

3\. The main OC heroines are still the same: Leila, Iris, and Eclair but I'll be making their personalities a bit more distinguishable and distinct even during the earlier chapters. Their personalities will be pretty much the same though. I'm quite fond already with the personalities I made for them.

4\. The fourth OC heroine (Leorio's pair): You'll still be meeting her at the same timeline which is after the hunter exam. A hint for her character: She's already a hunter before the start of the story. And she's younger than Leorio (not by much though).

6\. I'll be changing the OCs last names too. I made up the OCs' last names hurriedly last time so some of them really didn't fit.

7\. There will be added scenes and conversations like the 'quiz trial' which I skipped in this one and few others more.

8\. The humor of this fic will stay. I like smiling while writing.

9\. I may have changed something in the OCs for a bit like thier backstories and stuff, just minor details and some other major things but those major things hasn't been revealed in this fic so it really won't make 'visible changes' if you happen to compare it with this one and the rewrite. Some things will be retained though like Leila's dream in the first chapter and there are some scenes that will be written differently.

10\. Title changed to: Diverging Routes | Converging Paths (I still suck thinking up titles)

FINAL THING: REWRITE ALREADY POSTED

So if you guys are still interested with this story, you should be able to find it in my profile with its new title. It should be pretty easy considering there are only three stories there: this one, my second fic and the rewrite. I'm still writing the other ones. Hehehe.

Anyway, I already posted the first two chapters and it covers events from CHAPTER 1 to 4 of this fic with a few added scenes and conversations and some bits of changes here and there.

Thank you for reading this fic and I hope to see you guys in the rewrite!


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